Many parts of the Iberian Peninsula were plunged into darkness on Monday with officials now launching an investigation to establish the cause of the major blackout
The first confirmed deaths following a massive power outage in Spain include a family of three. At least five people died after much of the Iberian Peninsula and parts of the south of France were plunged into darkness.
An investigation has been launched into the bizarre blackout which left people without power in many parts of Spain and Portugal. Officials in the town of Taboadela, near the north-western city of Ourense, announced the bodies of “a married couple and their son” were found in their home. Forensic teams and firefighters said they are investigating whether the deaths were caused by carbon monoxide inhalation due to a malfunction.
The 81-year-old man was found alongside his wife, 77, and their disabled son, 56, in their three-storey home. Investigators found a generator in the basement and it is believed the gases travelled to the upper floors, according to Spanish outlet El Pais.
Another two people were poisoned in a separate incident in Rianxo, in the north-western city of A Coruna, though they were taken to a nearby hospital. Many people across Spain relied on using a generator in order to power their homes after the blackout sparked chaos.
Firefighters in Catalonia were called out nine times to reports of carbon monoxide emergencies. In the coastal city of Valencia, in eastern Spain, a 46-year-old woman died after her oxygen machine failed due to the power cut.
Millions of people in Spain and Portugal suffered a huge power cut that prompted officials to announce an unprecedented state of emergency. Widespread travel and disruption left thousands of train passengers stranded with many others being left unable to connect to the internet or effectively use their phones.
The blackout happened at about 12:30pm local time, leaving swathes of the population facing a night of no electricity and essential power. Emergency services and rail workers in Spain needed to evacuate an estimated 35,000 people from some 100 trains that stopped on the tracks when the electricity was cut. By 11pm passengers on 11 trains still needed to be evacuated.
Portugal’s national grid operator confirmed some 6.2million out of 6.5million households now have power back again. Spanish Prime Minster Pedro Sanchez said the electricity demand was normal and the systems were at “good capacity”. He has demanded an urgent investigation into the private companies following the blackouts.
Mobile telephone and fibre optics are working in 90% of the country, according to the Spanish PM. The Portuguese National Cybersecurity Centre said in a statement there was no sign the outage was due to a cyber attack.