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Power supplies have been returning in Spain and Portugal after large parts, including the capitals Madrid and Lisbon, were hit by a huge outage on Monday.

Millions of people were caught up in the chaos after the mass blackout brought many areas to a standstill, with trains stopping, planes grounded, internet and mobile phone services cut, traffic lights and ATMs down, and some routine hospital operations suspended.

Spain‘s interior ministry declared a national emergency and the two countries’ governments convened emergency cabinet meetings as officials tried to find out what caused the outage which started around 12.30pm (11.30am UK time).

A police car passes as vehicles wait in a traffic jam on the other side of the road in Madrid. Pic: Reuters
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A police car passes as vehicles wait in a traffic jam on the other side of the road in Madrid. Pic: Reuters

People gather outside Barcelona-Sants train station during a power outage. Pic: Reuters
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People gather outside Barcelona-Sants train station during a power outage. Pic: Reuters

Blackouts in Spain and Portugal: Follow latest updates

About half the electricity supplies in Spain have now been restored by the grid operator, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday evening, adding the rest should be back by Tuesday.

In a televised address, Mr Sanchez said authorities have not yet worked out what had caused the blackout in the Iberian Peninsula and were not ruling anything out.

He asked the public to refrain from speculation, and urged people to call emergency services only if really necessary.

Eduardo Prieto, the head of operations at Spanish power grid operator Red Electrica, said the event was unprecedented, calling it “exceptional and extraordinary”.

Meanwhile, Portugal‘s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said power in his country would be fully restored in the coming hours.

He said all the state services remained operating in the country despite all the difficulties. He also said there was “no indication” a cyberattack was the cause.

Read more: Analysis – How electricity grids fail

A cook from "La Cocinona" home-made take out food restaurant works in a dark kitchen with the aid of phone's flashlight during a power outage in Madrid, Spain, April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Susana Vera
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A chef in Madrid works in a dark kitchen with the aid of his phone’s flashlight. Pic: Reuters

Fans are seen after the matches were suspended due to a power outage.
Pic: Reuters
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Fans are seen after Madrid Open matches were suspended due to a power outage. Pic: Reuters

‘Rare atmospheric phenomenon’

Portugal’s grid operator Ren claimed the outage was caused by a fault in the Spanish electricity grid, related to a “rare atmospheric phenomenon”.

Ren says that, due to extreme temperature variations in Spain, there were “anomalous oscillations” in very high-voltage lines.

It also says that given the complexity of the issue, it could take up to a week for the network to fully normalise again.

map of Portugal and Spain power outages

It comes as France briefly lost power following the outages in Spain and Portugal, French grid operator RTE said.

Parts of Madrid underground were evacuated and traffic lights in the city were not working, according to local media.

Play was suspended at the Madrid Open tennis tournament due to the outage – with Britain’s Jacob Fearnley forced off court in a critical moment during his third-round tie with Grigor Dimitrov.

The loss of power affected scoreboards and the camera above the court. Organisers later announced the tournament would not be able to resume on Monday, with afternoon and evening sessions cancelled.

What has been affected by the blackout?

Here’s what we know has been impacted so far:

:: Transport, including trains, metros and airports – with traffic lights also down.

:: Internet and mobile coverage.

:: Lighting in homes, businesses and other buildings, though backup generators are in place in many.

:: ATMs and card payments, as well as most till systems.

:: Lifts in buildings are stuck.

:: Electric car chargers and fuel pumps are also down.

:: Air conditioning units.

:: A significant quantity of water pumps, meaning some homes have no access to drinking water.

Airports affected

Aena, which runs international airports across Spain, said earlier that “some incidents were occurring” at the airports due to the outage.

The company added in a statement: “Contingency generators are active. Please check with your airline, as there may be disruptions to access and ground transportation.”

People ‘had nowhere to go’

Maddie Sephton, who is from west London, was on the Madrid Metro when the power outage occurred.

“We got on the train and everything was fine,” she told Sky News. “But then everything went dark.”

She was stuck on the train for 20 minutes until a staff member opened the doors manually.

A metro worker passes underneath barricade tape, to enter Legazpi Metro station, after the metro was closed during a power outage, in Madrid, Spain, April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Susana Vera
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A metro worker passes underneath barricade tape to enter Legazpi Metro station after the outage. Pic: Reuters

A view shows a transmission tower during a power outage, near Barcelona, Spain.
Pic: Reuters
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A view shows a transmission tower during a power outage near Barcelona in Spain. Pic: Reuters

Mrs Sephton says she was on her way to the airport at the time – and had to exit the station by walking up 15 flights of stairs with her luggage.

“No lifts are operating – making it difficult for elderly people with limited mobility,” she added.

Above ground, she said that “everyone is just standing around and waiting”.

A medical staffer relocates a patient during a nationwide power outage in Pamplona, northern Spain, Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)
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Medical staff relocate a patient in Pamplona, Pic: AP

Bars were unable to take card payments, cash machines are down, and traffic lights weren’t working either.

“I currently don’t have any internet service and just €15 in my wallet – I can’t withdraw any money from the ATM,” she added.

“A couple have offered to let us get a ride in their taxi to the airport. Their flight is at 4.30pm so they’re pretty relaxed – but my flight back to London is at 3pm and I’m nervous.”

Mrs Sephton said: “People are just walking but have nowhere to go, and nothing to do.”

Traffic lights have stopped working following a power outage in downtown Lisbon, Portugal.
Pic: AP
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Traffic lights have stopped working following a power outage in downtown Lisbon, Portugal. Pic: AP

People try to board a crowded bus after the subway stopped running following a power outage in Lisbon, Portugal.
Pic: AP
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People try to board a crowded bus after the subway stopped running following a power outage in Lisbon, Portugal. Pic: AP

Meanwhile, thousands of passengers had to be evacuated after the blackout left the metro service in Barcelona without power.

The blackout was also reported to have forced the closure of the city’s tram system and rendered some traffic lights there inoperable.

It has also impacted medical facilities, with hospitals in Madrid and Catalonia forced to suspend routine medical work. Staff have been able to attend to critical patients using power from backup generators.

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It comes as Metrovalencia, the urban rail system, encompassing both metro and tram services in Valencia, said traffic in the city was “disrupted” due to a “general power outage in the city”.

The outage also hit the Portuguese capital Lisbon and surrounding areas, as well as northern and southern parts of the country.

Portugal’s government said the incident appeared to stem from problems outside the country, an official told national news agency Lusa.

“It looks like it was a problem with the distribution network, apparently in Spain. It’s still being ascertained,” Cabinet Minister Leitão Amaro was quoted as saying.

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Two dead and hundreds of arrests across France after PSG’s Champions League win

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Two dead and hundreds of arrests across France after PSG's Champions League win

Two people are dead and nearly 560 people were arrested after disorder broke out in France following Paris Saint-Germain’s victory in the Champions League final, the French interior ministry has said.

The ministry added 192 people were injured and there were 692 fires, including 264 involving vehicles.

A 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death in the city of Dax during a PSG street party after Saturday night’s final in Munich, the national police service said.

The second person killed was a man who was hit by a car while riding a scooter during PSG celebrations, the interior minister’s office said.

Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez has said the man was in his 20s and although the incident is still being investigated, it appears his death was linked to the disorder.

Meanwhile, French authorities have reported that a police officer is in a coma following the clashes.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Final - Paris St Germain fans gather in Paris - Paris, France - May 31, 2025 A burning bike is seen on
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A burning bike on the Champs Elysees during the disorder. Pic: Reuters

The officer had been hit by a firecracker that emerged from a crowd of supporters in Coutances in the Manche department of northwestern France, according to reports in the country.

Initial investigations reportedly suggest the incident was accidental and the police officer was not deliberately targeted.

The perpetrator has not been identified.

A man walks past teargas during incidents after the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan. Pic: AP
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A man walks past teargas during incidents after the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan. Pic: AP

Soccer Football - Champions League - Final - Paris St Germain fans gather in Paris - Paris, France - May 31, 2025 A burning bike is seen on
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A burning bike on the Champs Elysees during the disorder. Pic: Reuters

The interior ministry earlier said 22 security forces workers were injured during the chaos – including 18 who were injured in Paris, along with seven firefighters.

In a news conference today, Mr Nuñez said only nine of the force’s officers had been injured in the French capital.

He added that fireworks were directed at police and firefighters were attacked while responding to car fires.

There were 559 arrests across the country during the disorder, including 491 in Paris. Of those detained across the country, 320 were taken into police custody – with 254 in the French capital.

Mr Nuñez said although most people wanted to celebrate PSG’s win, some only wanted to get involved in fights with police.

He also said the force is only at “half-time” in its response because the PSG team will be celebrating their Champions League victory on the Champs Élysées later today.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Final - Paris St Germain fans gather in Paris - Paris, France - May 31, 2025 Riot police on the Champs
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Police in Paris during the disorder. Pic: Reuters

Soccer Football - Champions League - Final - Paris St Germain fans gather in Paris - Paris, France - May 31, 2025 Riot police on the Champs
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Police in Paris during the disorder. Pic: Reuters

Mr Nuñez said that the police presence and military presence in Paris will be increased on the ground for the parade.

It comes after flares and fireworks were set off in the French capital after PSG beat Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich – the biggest ever victory in a Champions League final.

Around 5,400 police were deployed across Paris after the game, with officers using tear gas and pepper spray on the Champs Élysées.

A man runs away from teargas during incidents on the Champs Elysees avenue after PSG won the Champions League. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Fireworks explode over police in Paris after PSG win the Champions League. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

At the top of the Champs Élysées, a water cannon was used to protect the Place de l’Etoile, near the landmark Arc de Triomphe.

Police said a large crowd not watching the match tried to push through a barrier to make contact with officers.

Some 131 arrests were made, including 30 who broke into a shoe shop on the Champs Élysées.

Police have said a total of four shops, including a car dealership and a barbers, were targeted during the disorder in Paris.

Two cars were set alight close to Parc des Princes, police said.

PSG forward Ousmane Dembélé appealed for calm in a post-match interview with Canal+, saying: “Let’s celebrate this but not tear everything up in Paris.”

A PSG supporter on a traffic sign in Paris while red flares are set off after the team won the Champions League. Pic: AP
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Pics: AP

PSG supporters invade a street in Paris after the team won the Champions League. Pic: AP

After the final played at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, thousands of supporters also tried to rush the field.

Police lined up in front of the PSG end of the stadium at the final whistle, but struggled to contain the fans for several minutes when they came down from the stands following the trophy presentation.

PSG fans rush the field at Allianz Arena in Munich after the team win the Champions League. Pic: AP
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Pics: AP

Police try to contain PSG fans on the field at Allianz Arena in Munich. Pic: AP

Désiré Doué, the 19-year-old who scored two goals and assisted one in the final, said after the game: “I don’t have words. But what I can say is, ‘Thank you Paris,’ we did it.”

Despite being a supporter of PSG’s rivals Olympique de Marseille, French President Emmanuel Macron also said on social media: “A glorious day for PSG!

“Bravo, we are all proud. Paris, the capital of Europe this evening.”

Mr Macron’s office said the president would receive the players at the Elysee Palace on Sunday.

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Hamburg hospital fire kills three as people call for help from windows

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Hamburg hospital fire kills three as people call for help from windows

Three patients have been killed and dozens of other people were reportedly injured after a fire at a hospital in Germany.

The blaze broke out in a room in the geriatric ward of the Marienkrankenhaus early on Sunday.

It started on the ground floor and spread to the level above, with smoke affecting much of the four-storey building in the city of Hamburg.

Firefighters were alerted soon after midnight.

They said they found several patients calling for help from windows, and some people were rescued using ladders.

Fire at the Marienkrankenhaus hospital. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Hospital fire. Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

Three adults died and more than 30 were injured in the fire, the German news agency dpa said.

One of the injured is in a life-threatening condition, while 18 have serious injuries and 15 have minor injuries, the agency added.

Read more from Sky News:
Two dead and hundreds of arrests in France after PSG win
Britain has ‘lost control’ of its borders, says minister

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Part of the building had to be evacuated, though the wounded were mostly treated at the hospital.

Two injured people were taken to other nearby clinics.

The blaze was put out within about 20 minutes. The cause is not yet known.

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At least 26 people killed in Israeli attack near aid distribution site, Gaza health ministry says

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At least 26 people killed in Israeli attack near aid distribution site, Gaza health ministry says

At least 26 people have been killed near an aid distribution centre in the Rafah area of southern Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Palestinian health ministry.

Earlier, a nearby hospital run by the Red Cross reported that at least 21 people had been killed. The hospital, which has been receiving bodies and the wounded, also said another 175 people had been injured.

Witnesses said the deaths came after Israeli forces opened fire at a roundabout near the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation hub, a new aid organisation backed by Israel and the US.

However, Palestinian and Hamas-linked media have attributed the deaths it has reported on to an Israeli airstrike.

It is not yet clear if eyewitnesses and Hamas-affiliated media are giving different accounts of the same incident.

Sky News has contacted the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) for comment.

Witnesses tell of shooting

The area where the reported shooting took place is controlled by Israeli forces.

Ibrahim Abu Saoud, an eyewitness, said Israeli forces opened fire at people moving toward the aid distribution centre.

“There were many martyrs, including women,” the 40-year-old man said. “We were about 300 metres away from the military.”

Abu Saoud said he saw many people with gunshot wounds, including a young man who he said had died at the scene. “We weren’t able to help him,” he said.

Mohammed Abu Teaima, 33, said he saw Israeli forces open fire and kill his cousin and another woman as they were heading to the hub.

He said his cousin was shot in his chest and died at the scene. Many others were wounded, including his brother-in-law, he said.

“They opened heavy fire directly toward us,” he said as he was waiting outside the Red Cross field hospital for word on his wounded relative.

Palestinians arrived to collect aid from a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation hub in Rafah last week. File pic: Reuters
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Palestinians arrived to collect aid from a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation hub in Rafah last week. File pic: Reuters

Controversial new aid system

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) operates as part of a controversial aid system which Israel and the US says is aimed at preventing Hamas from siphoning off assistance.

Israel has not provided any evidence of systematic diversion, and the UN denies it has occurred.

The foundation’s distribution of aid has been marred by chaos, and multiple witnesses have said Israeli troops fired on crowds near the delivery sites.

UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to work with the new system, saying it violates humanitarian principles because it allows Israel to control who receives aid and forces people to relocate to distribution sites, risking yet more mass displacement in the territory.

Before Sunday, at least six people had been killed and more than 50 wounded, according to local health officials.

Read more:
Israel confirms Hamas chief killed
Last hospital in northern Gaza out of service
Calls for UK to offer Gaza children life-saving treatment

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From 31 May: Moment Israeli warplane strikes Gaza

GHF says aid distributed ‘without incident’

The foundation says the private security contractors guarding its sites did not fire on the crowds, while the Israeli military has acknowledged firing warning shots on previous occasions.

The foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment following the hospital’s claims.

In an earlier statement, it said it distributed 16 truckloads of aid early on Sunday “without incident”. It dismissed what it referred to as “false reporting about deaths, mass injuries and chaos”.

Meanwhile, the UN’s aid system has struggled to bring in aid after Israel slightly eased its total blockade of the territory last month.

Those groups say Israeli restrictions, the breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting make it extremely difficult to deliver aid to Gaza’s roughly two million Palestinians.

Experts have warned that the Palestinian territory is at risk of famine if more aid is not brought in.

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From 29 May: Meet Gaza’s paramedics

The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251.

They are still holding 58 hostages, around a third of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 54,000 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants.

The offensive has destroyed vast areas of the territory, displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population and left people almost completely reliant on international aid.

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