Pedro Sánchez: “Service has been restored in some areas, but we’re going to have a critical few hours”

The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez , appeared at 5:45 p.m. on Monday following an 
unprecedented power outage in recent decades. Starting at 12:30 p.m., much of Spain and neighboring 
Portugal were without power for reasons still unknown, which could be attributed to a “strong fluctuation” in the electrical system. No hypothesis has been ruled out for the moment. 

While it’s true that normality is beginning to return, the leader of the national executive has urged caution , minimizing travel , seeking information through official channels, and following the recommendations of social and political leaders in each region. “We have already restored service in some areas of the north and south, but we are going through some critical times and we must be responsible. We need to keep calls short and use 112 only when strictly necessary,” Sánchez declared from Moncloa. 

“I ask citizens, as we have done in other crises, to seek information through official channels. It is important not to speculate. These crises polarize and are conducive to hoaxes. I ask for responsibility in not transmitting information of dubious origin,” the Spanish president warned. Regarding the reasons for the blackout, the president reported that technicians are working to determine the causes, but that it is still uncertain. He also referred to this “strong fluctuation.” 

The president also reported that three regions have requested level three civil protection , and that the State is providing support there. They are Andalusia, Extremadura, and Madrid.

INTERESTING FACTS

As the afternoon progresses, port traffic is operating without incident, and air traffic has not been affected either . The situation for rail traffic is quite different, with medium- and long-distance services not expected to recover until tomorrow . “We continue working to restore commuter service as soon as possible,” Sánchez stated. 

For his part, the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, clarified through social media that the stations of Atocha, Chamartín, Sants, Bilbao, Valencia, Seville, Córdoba, Zaragoza, Valladolid and Málaga will remain open tonight in order to make it easier for people who have to take a train and have no other option to spend the night there.