Spain suffered a major blackout, leaving millions without access to electricity, water and phone signal – but despite the chaos, some seem to have enjoyed it, others not so much
Spain’s power outage had people stranded in the middle of nowhere as trains had stopped working, buildings becoming pitch-black and shops and restaurants came to a stand-still as card payments were down. But what did some holidaying Brits do during all this chaos? Some 12 hours of no electricity and mobile network seemed to have been the end of the world to some, but others actually enjoyed it.
On April 28, Spain as well as Portugal and some areas of France suffered a power outage that caused full-on chaos on the streets, with the full closure of public transport services, such as the metro and trains and people not getting to work.
For 12 hours, Spain had no electricity, water, and mobile phone networks. Dramatic scenes saw people raiding supermarket shelves as they panic-bought essential goods such as water and canned foods, reported The Mirror.
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Nonetheless, the surprising blackout left locals and visitors without any other option than socialising with strangers and helping each other during these uncertain moments.
The unexpected blackout left the entire nation in a state of confusion and disbelief. A fresh start of the week was interrupted without any explanation and social media became flooded with videos from locals and visitors showing what they were up to during the day.
Some clips on Tiktok showed people stocking up on supplies, while others took the abrupt situation as a day off to hang out with friends and enjoy the sunshine without knowing what was going on in the exterior world. Footage on social media shows groups of people gathering together to dance on the beach in Valencia.
Another user wrote on X: “Massive power blackout in Spain and Portugal! No internet, payments are off, and flights are cancelled. Media: Chaos! People are in Panic! What really happened: We just took blankets, beer and had a great time all together.”
Other heart-warming moments showed people singing, dancing, reading, playing card games, and even offering drinks and food until the power came back later in the evening. In Madrid, there were scenes of people hanging out on the streets, cheering and applauding as the lights turned on.
However, some holidaying Brits were not happy to have had their holidays disrupted, with one saying on Tiktok: “Can’t get food, can’t get water, can’t get an ATM because it relies on power, so we can’t get any money out. So it really made me think, it’s the last time I’m leaving the house without cash.”
Describing the situation as “crazy” in Benidorm, another holidaymaker told The Mirror: “Traffic lights are out… phone lines are down… Wow. All the shops are not getting power. I need some food – I haven’t eaten yet – but you can’t get food either.”
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While the cause is still unclear, Spain’s Interior Ministry declared a state of national emergency following the nationwide power cut. However, the emergency status only applies to those regions that have requested it. So far, that only includes Madrid, Andalusia and Extremadura.
Thousands of passengers on the metro in Barcelona were evacuated after the blackout. According to local media, traffic lights in the city stopped working, causing chaos as cars tried to overtake each other.
Air travel was also affected, with departures and arrivals being cancelled or delayed, leaving thousands of people stranded. Bars and restaurants were unable to take payments, only accepting the exact amount of cash.