The unprecedented blackout that Spain suffered this Monday He surprised the president of Madrid in Gamedi de la Sierra, where he would have presented a strategic plan for the regional primary sector. Isabel Díaz Ayuso He had to suspend his agenda, which included a meeting with the Commissioner for European Transport, to move quickly to the Madrid Security Agency headquarters (Asem 112), located in Pozuelo de Alarcón, who has supply systems to be spent up to a week without energy from abroad.
In this space A first cabinet in crisis was established With the Consultants of the Presidency, Miguel Ángel García Martín and the interior, Carlos Novillo, as well as with the director of the security agency, Pedro Ruiz Escobar. Shortly after a government council also took place in an extraordinary way to study the enormous impact of the offer of the offer on Madrid communitywhich strongly hit Mobility by the closure of the subway and the Cercanías And for the problems in communications due to poor coverage and react.
On a political level, the first decisions adopted by the crisis cabinet have been activated the level 2 of the emergency plan and ask the central executive Give the green light to level 3 for the emergency of the national interestAn operational situation that implies the leadership of the management of the state administration and the activation of the army. Also this request Other autonomies did it during the day And the government has decided to accept them all, as reported President Pedro Sánchez in his first message to La Nación Of the two who declared on Monday.
In the meantime, the most urgent operation was to participate in people who were at risk, for example, to have been trapped in elevators and other places. During the day an “absolute record” of rescue was beaten: About 300 assists of this type had to participate in autonomous firefighters. Another priority was to guarantee the continuity of the service in critical infrastructures such as hospitals and the water supply network.
The community moved during the day that assistance in all public health centers was “guaranteed”. “Emergencies are normally attended And urgent surgical interventions have been postponed, which will be reprogrammed when the electricity service is normalized, “they reported from the Ministry of Health during the day. It has also been highlighted that in the residences of the elderly the situation is” normal “.
For its part, the Isabel II channel has activated its emergency plan which includes the implementation of Electogens groups to ensure water supply “As far as possible”. During this Monday, no lack of generalized water has been informed in any municipality of Madrid.
The most visible problems from the first bars of the emergency were those who experienced the transport network, which collapsed The closure of the Madrid metro and the vicinity due to the lack of electricity supply. The blackout had the trains of both services. Some convoys have been stopped inside the tunnels, so they had to perform numerous rescues of the people who were trapped in them. At the moment he has not transcended how many travelers were seen in this situation or how many trains have been arrested in full business, something that could complicate the return to normal Once electricity returns because you have to go and collect them.
Both Metro and Cercanías have closed their stations, which have been illuminated only weakly from the safety lights, and this is something that forced numerous citizens to seek transport alternatives to reach their homes, works … travelers who had destinations for relatively convenient distances started walking. Indeed, The roads of the capital have been incessant that they sell and go Throughout the day from the first sizes of the blackout. Others carried out an almost impossible taxi search, because they were just available and VTC vehicles, who worked with many problems because their services are reserved with mobile applications and connect to them was a chimera for many users.
The problems with Metro, Cercanías and Taxi have caused a large number of users aimed at bus services, which caused large rows in brands throughout the capital. In Jacinto Benavente’s Square, for example, around 15:00 more than fifty people were waiting to get on a bus on line 6. From this Tuesday there is also a complicated day, The EMT reported that the service will be free.
Furthermore, with the aim of strengthening the public transport service, it was authorized All taxi and VTC vehicles can go to the service And interurban buses will be strengthened. As for the subway, at this moment it has not been officially confirmed that it will be able to open at 6.05 hours as every working day, but is working to be possible.
In front of Tuesday, the community decreed the suspension of lessons in the region this Tuesday, but at the same time it was decided that all public and concerted educational centers, or all those supported with public funds – Remains open during the day to serve students They may need it.
“We are outstanding, above all, of the capital”
Díaz Ayuso gave an interview on television already entered in the night and did not hide his “concern” for Safety of citizens and streets. “We are outstanding, above all, the capital,” said the president. “We are worried because we cannot have all the information we would like, nor has the city council itself because all the services have fallen,” he added.
About 0.30 Tuesday, the councilor of the Presidency of Madrid, Miguel Ángel García Martín revealed in his social networks that 129 of the 179 municipalities of the Madrid community had recovered the supply of electricity. “Critic infrastructure – channel, hospitals, 112 and subway – are protected”He had highlighted a few minutes before Díaz Ayuso, who also wanted to highlight that it works so that all tourists who were blocked in the region have accommodation.
To achieve this, the regional transport consortium, through the EMT, has reinforced lines 203 (Express) 101 and 200 Collect passengers who are located at Adolfo airport Suárez Madrid-Barajas and also at the Atocha and Chamartín stations. “Travelers who request it will be transferred to Movistar Arena (former Wizink Center) so that they can spend the night there”, has been reported by the community, which has also indicated that throughout the region there are still available hotels.
The community asked citizens to resort only on the phone 112, A line between 12.30 and 20.30 managed more than 3,000 filesto warn dangerous situations or extraordinary necessity. It was guaranteed that there were means to meet a serious impact and start from 18:00, when it started to return the offer in some cities to the south and west of the region, it hopes that the normality in the region will return during the day of Tuesday who began to be hosted on Tuesday.
