A massive blackout across Spain, Portugal, and parts of France on April 27, 2025, left millions without power for up to 48 hours, with three deaths in Spain attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning from improper generator use.
The outage, caused by a failure in a high-voltage line near Zaragoza, disrupted trains, flights, and hospitals. The fatalities, reported in Madrid and Valencia, involved two elderly couples and a single resident who used gasoline-powered generators indoors, leading to toxic fume buildup. Authorities are investigating, with preliminary findings citing lack of ventilation.
The blackout, one of Europe’s worst in a decade, affected 10 million households, with Madrid’s Atocha station and Barcelona’s airport grounded. Spain’s grid operator, Red Eléctrica, restored 90% of power by April 29, but rural areas faced delays, prompting emergency generator distribution. The deaths highlight the dangers of makeshift power solutions, with 1,500 carbon monoxide poisoning cases reported annually in Spain, per health ministry data. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urged proper generator use, emphasizing outdoor placement and ventilation.
The outage exposed vulnerabilities in Europe’s energy infrastructure, worsened by aging grids and increased demand from electric vehicles. Spain’s government allocated €500 million for grid upgrades, with Energy Minister Teresa Ribera calling it a “wake-up call,”. Portugal reported no fatalities but faced similar disruptions, with Lisbon’s metro halted. France’s partial blackout affected 500,000 homes, primarily in the Pyrenees. The Madrid Open tennis tournament resumed after power restoration, but economic losses are estimated at €1 billion.
Public health officials launched campaigns to educate on generator safety, as sales surged 300% post-blackout, per Reuters. The tragedy recalls a 2021 Texas blackout, where 246 died, many from generator-related poisoning. Spain’s meteorological agency linked the grid failure to extreme weather fluctuations, with storms overloading the system. As climate change intensifies, experts warn of more frequent outages, urging investment in renewable energy and smart grids. The government has pledged to investigate the blackout’s root causes, with a report due by June 2025, to prevent future tragedies and ensure energy resilience.