u/TherapyGary — TʜᴇʀᴀᴘʏGⒶʀʏ⁽ᵗʰᵉʸ‘ᵗʰᵉᵐ⁾

>Officials did not say if these were cases of so-called needle spiking with date-rape drugs such as Rohypnol or GHB

>Some victims were taken to hospital for toxicological tests

>investigations were opened after three people... reported feeling unwell.

##Update:

• **Authorities have ruled out a cyberattack**, with investigations indicating the outage was caused by a “very strong oscillation in the electrical network” that led Spain’s power system to disconnect from the European system, collapsing the Iberian electricity network

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/04/massive-power-outage-in-spain-portugal-leaves-millions-in-dark/

English summary:

• A massive power outage struck most of Spain, Portugal, parts of southern France, and Andorra around 12:30 PM CET on April 28, 2025 (3.5hrs ago).

• Electricity consumption dropped by about 50%, causing widespread disruption.

• Possible causes include a rare atmospheric phenomenon affecting high-voltage lines or a cyberattack; investigations are ongoing.

• The blackout disrupted traffic lights, public transport (trains, metro), airports, and telecommunications.

• Hospitals operated on emergency power; many surgeries were suspended; urgent patient transfers prioritized.

• Emergency plans were activated; Madrid raised its emergency level and considered military support to maintain order.

• Power restoration began gradually but full recovery could take 6 to 10 hours.

• The outage affected supermarkets, businesses, and public services, causing closures and delays.