Spain and Portugal have declared a state of emergency after a massive power outage on Monday knocked out traffic lights, caused chaos on roads and in airports.
The cause of the massive power outage has not yet been established, although an investigation is still underway.
As of the time of filing this report, half of Spain’s power had been restored, according to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, after a state of emergency was declared in the country.
Authorities are still yet to establish why the outage occurred, Sanchez said, after Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro insisted there was “no indication” of a cyberattack.
Sanchez told the country “a long night lies ahead” as images across Spain and Portugal showed residents plunged into darkness.
According to a report by the BBC, citing Portugal’s power firm REN, it could take about a whole week for the country’s power network to fully normalise.
Spain’s Interior Ministry has been reinforcing police patrols across the country by deploying 30,000 officers to maintain public order and prevent security incidents, particularly on roads where traffic signals are not working.
“Citizens can and should remain calm,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said during his latest address.
In many towns and cities, plain clothed officers are being used to prevent looting and protect businesses, many of which are unable to lower their electric shutters due to the power outage.
In Catalonia, the Mossos d’Esquadra (Catalan Police) will deploy more than 7,000 officers overnight to respond to emergencies and maintain public order.
The situation left hundreds of people transacting business at banks, shoppers, and travelers stranded as transportation systems were shut down.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
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