Panic grips blackout stricken Spain
Nationwide power outages have sparked panic in Spain and Portugal, with residents told to stay where they are amid fears that disruption due to blackouts could last for up to a week in some areas.
Portugal's electricity grid operator has warned it is 'impossible' to say when the electricity supply will be fully restored, but said that it could take up to a week.
The operator said that the disruptions to the country's power supply were the result of a 'fault in the Spanish electricity grid,' which was related to a 'rare atmospheric phenomenon'.
They did not clarify what this meant and Spain's grid operator has not responded to the claims.
Huge queues have formed outside shops, banks and petrol stations in both countries as residents and tourists are attempting to stockpile and take out cash amid the uncertainty.
Madrid's Mayor has urged people to stay where they are as they deal with the disaster, while the president of the city's regional government has called for Spain's prime minister to activate an emergency plan so soldiers can be deployed.
Power outages gripped Spain at around 12.30 local time, plunging millions into darkness.
Trains and metro services were shut down, with people stuck in tunnels and on train tracks in both countries, forcing evacuations. Lisbon's main airport was reportedly shut down temporarily with flights suspended.
The power cuts come just days after Spain's power grid ran entirely on renewable energy, including wind, solar and hyrdro power, for a whole day for the first time on April 16.
Spanish officials are urgently investigating the cause of the outages and have said they are looking into the possibility of the blackouts being triggered by a devastating cyber attack.
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