XPost: alt.politics.europe.misc, or.politics, sac.politics   
   XPost: talk.politics.guns, alt.global-warming   
   From: nospam@ix.netcom.com   
      
   On 28 Apr 2025, Green Morons  posted some   
   news:4b116725d9.1745882507@kmgus.hd:   
      
   > BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — An unprecedented blackout brought much of   
   > Spain and Portugal to a standstill Monday, stopping trains, cutting   
   > phone service and shutting down traffic lights and ATMs for millions   
   > of people across the Iberian Peninsula.   
   >   
   > Spanish power distributor Red Eléctrica declined to speculate on the   
   > cause of the power outage that began around 12:30 p.m. Madrid time and   
   > said restoring power fully could take six to 10 hours. Head of   
   > operations Eduardo Prieto told journalists it was unprecedented,   
   > calling the event “exceptional and extraordinary.” By 8:35 p.m.,   
   > only 35% of energy demand had been restored, Prieto said hours later.   
   >   
   > Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said a “strong   
   > oscillation” in the European grid was behind the outage but the   
   > cause was still being determined. He asked the public to refrain from   
   > speculation, and urged people to call emergency services only if   
   > really necessary.   
   >   
   > It was the second serious European power outage in less than six weeks   
   > after a March 20 fire shut down Heathrow Airport in the U.K., and it   
   > came as authorities across Europe gird against sabotage backed by   
   > Russia.   
   >   
   > The Portuguese National Cybersecurity Center in a statement said there   
   > was no sign the outage was due to a cyberattack. Teresa Ribera,   
   > European Commission executive vice president in charge of promoting   
   > clean energy, indicated the same to journalists in Brussels and called   
   > the power outage “one of the most serious episodes recorded in   
   > Europe in recent times.”   
   >   
   > Spanish and Portuguese capitals affected   
   >   
   > The outage began after midday. Offices closed and traffic was snarled   
   > in major cities. In Barcelona civilians directed traffic. Train   
   > services in both countries stopped, leaving tens of thousands of   
   > passengers stranded. It wouldn’t be possible to restart trains later   
   > Monday even if the power returned, Spain’s Transportation Minister   
   > Oscar Puente posted on social media.   
   >   
   > The subway systems shut down. “I don’t know how I am going to get   
   > home,” said Barcelona resident Ivette Corona as she watched a large   
   > group of people fail to get on a bus that briefly stopped to squeeze   
   > in a couple of passengers.   
   >   
   > In Madrid, hundreds of people at a bus stop that takes travelers to   
   > the airport were trying to hitch-hike. Some held improvised signs to   
   > convince drivers to take them.   
   >   
   > “I’ve been here for almost three hours, trying to get someone to   
   > take me to the airport because my family arrived today and I can’t   
   > talk to them. This is terrifying,” said Jessica Fernandez, one of   
   > the many people at the bus stop.   
   >   
   > Hospitals and other emergency services switched to generators. Among   
   > those most affected were homebound patients dependent on oxygen   
   > machines. Gas stations stopped working.   
   >   
   > It was not possible to make calls or send text messages on most mobile   
   > phone networks, though some people managed to connect on certain   
   > messaging apps with intermittent data connections. People searched   
   > stores for battery-powered radios to stay informed.   
   >   
   > It is rare to have such a widespread outage across the Iberian   
   > Peninsula, with a combined population of about 60 million people.   
   > Spain’s Canary Islands, Balearic Islands and the territories of   
   > Ceuta and Melilla, located across the Mediterranean in Africa, were   
   > not affected.   
   >   
   > Spain’s prime minister convened an extraordinary meeting of the   
   > National Security Council. Four regions of Spain declared an emergency   
   > and asked the central government in Madrid to take over management of   
   > the crisis. The Portuguese Cabinet convened an emergency meeting at   
   > the prime minister’s residence. Portuguese Prime Minister Luis   
   > Montenegro said he had spoken several times to Sánchez and expected   
   > power to be restored by the end of the day.   
   >   
   > Portugal’s government said the outage appeared to stem from problems   
   > outside the country, an official told national news agency Lusa.   
   >   
   > Electricity was being pulled from Morocco and France to restore power   
   > to southern and northern Spain, Spain’s prime minister said,   
   > thanking their governments. Spain was also increasing the production   
   > from hydroelectric and combined cycle thermal power plants.   
   >   
   > Airports working on backup systems   
   > A graph on Spain’s electricity network website showing demand across   
   > the country indicated a steep drop around 12:30 p.m. from 27,500   
   > megawatts to near 15,000 megawatts.   
   >   
   > Spanish airports were operating on backup electrical systems and some   
   > flights were delayed, according to Aena, which runs 56 airports in   
   > Spain, including Madrid and Barcelona.   
   >   
   > In Lisbon, terminals closed and tourists sat outside waiting for news   
   > about flights.   
   >   
   > “We haven’t seen any plane arriving or departing in the 50 minutes   
   > we’ve been waiting here,” Dutch tourist Marc Brandsma told The   
   > Associated Press.   
   >   
   > The Spanish Parliament in Madrid closed. Play at the Madrid Open   
   > tennis tournament was suspended.   
   >   
   > Some took advantage of the lack of connectivity to enjoy the sunshine   
   > on restaurant terraces, parks and beaches. Barcelona’s streets   
   > filled with throngs of people milling in front of darkened stores and   
   > exchanging information.   
   >   
   > “We are lucky. Some people got trapped in the metro. And there is a   
   > positive side: We are talking more with each other,” said Monste   
   > Cortés in Barcelona. She said dinner would be sliced bread and cold   
   > cuts.   
   >   
   > The owner of a popular ice-cream shop in Madrid began giving ice cream   
   > away to people passing by. “After about two hours that the power   
   > went out, I realized that the ice cream would start going bad,” said   
   > owner Mario Solares. He said he estimated his losses at about 3,000   
   > euros. “Hopefully we can recover some of this money with the   
   > insurance or some other way, we’ll see,” Solares added.   
   >   
   > The hunt for connectivity   
   > As hours passed, so did the concern of those unable to reach loved   
   > ones. Authorities in Barcelona have set up shelters for those unable   
   > to return home to spend the night.   
   >   
   > Rubén Elvira, his wife and two daughters joked with friends on   
   > parting that they would have to “write letters” to communicate.   
   >   
   > In Terrassa, an industrial town 50 kilometers (30 miles) from   
   > Barcelona, stores selling generators were out of stock.   
   >   
   > Portugal’s National Authority for Emergencies and Civil Protection   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)