Cyberattack may be behind Europe’s largest blackout in history: What we know
Photo: Major blackout in Europe (Getty Images)
One of the largest blackouts in history occurred in Europe, paralyzing infrastructure operations across several countries. Authorities are investigating a cyberattack as a possible cause of the widespread power outages, the Financial Times reports.
On Monday, April 28, Spain, parts of Portugal, and France were hit by a major power outage that paralyzed train services, disrupted flights, affected mobile networks, and disabled traffic lights.
According to preliminary estimates, the large-scale blackout was one of the biggest in Europe’s modern history, with over 10 GW of demand cut off after noon local time.
Spain’s electricity grid operator announced that it had activated plans to restore the power supply in cooperation with energy sector companies.
The grid was initially restored in the north and south of the country, allowing for a gradual recovery of the power supply across the Iberian Peninsula.
Millions of people throughout Spain, including in Madrid and Barcelona, were left without electricity, while Portuguese media reported that the blackout affected the entire peninsula.
Investigation into possible cyberattack
The power supply issues temporarily paralyzed critical infrastructure such as train stations, airports, and shops.
In Madrid, people came out into the streets after metro stations were evacuated and shops and offices closed. Spain’s Directorate-General for Traffic urged drivers to avoid traveling due to the lack of functioning traffic lights.
Some regions in France were briefly affected as well, but power was quickly restored. Operator RTE stated that the disruption occurred on the Iberian Peninsula rather than in France. An investigation into the causes of the incident, including the possibility of a cyberattack, is underway.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez convened an emergency meeting with government officials and representatives of the national grid, while Spain’s National Cybersecurity Institute is investigating the possibility of a cyberattack as the cause of the incident.
Massive blackout in Europe
Today, a number of European countries reported widespread power outages.
Power supply issues were reported in Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and also in one region of France.
Media outlets reported that residents of Andorra and regions of France bordering Spain experienced power outages. According to the latest information, further disruptions were later recorded in Belgium.
At this time, the official cause of the blackout remains unknown. However, Spain’s two largest electricity companies, Endesa and Iberdrola, have already launched investigations into the incident.
For more details about what happened, read the material by RBC-Ukraine.
