“We are exposed to chaos”: how Madrid and Barcelona reacted to the blackout
One blackout He arrived in much of Spain and Portugal on Monday, stopping trains, cutting the telephone service and turning off the traffic lights and boxes for millions of people throughout the Iberian Peninsula.
“We went out to see if something had happened on the street, and no. What we saw was that they all said the same thing: ‘There is no energy, there is no energy,” said Claudia García, a resident in Madrid.
The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, said that a “strong oscillation” in the European network was behind the power cut, but that the cause was still determined.
Pedro Sánchez asked the public to abstain specular and urged people to call emergency services only if effective.
The inhabitants of the Spanish capital say that the blackout caused a shock In the city, which depends largely on electricity for most daily operations.
“Everything works practically with electricity. And then we are exposed to chaos; the traffic lights do not even work,” said Juan.
“There is no internet, no telephone, no. Everything is saturated (which means that everyone is trying to connect to the Internet) is a problem,” said António.
Many residents even report that their professional duties were affected by the blackout.
“There is no Internet. I could not contact my bosses to tell them, but, of course, in Seville I shouldn’t have energy either, so I’m waiting here to see what happens,” said a local resident.
In Barcelona, the situation was similar. The inhabitants of the Catalan capital say they could not use their mobile phones due to interruptions in telecommunications services. Telecommunications arrest also meant that bank cards were not used.
“Here I am, without a telephone signal. Caixa’s recorder and the credit card machine don’t work for half an hour. I can’t even call my boss because nothing works,” said Helen Osorio.
The loss of access to ATM boxes and bank services in general was a big problem for many, since those who did not have money could not buy food or drinks in the few open stores, which could no longer accept payment cards.
“We are next to the sacred family and we are full of tourists. Not everyone has money with you. And we obviously need a network to move. It becomes complicated. And people do not know when they return,” said Milicent Ruiz, a Chilean tourist.
Other tourists were also worried about the lack of network, since the blackout also disturbed the trips. Many airports recorded delays and flight cancellations and many train stations were closed to the public.
“We hope this does not affect our flight back tomorrow,” said Laura Mcenrich, an American tourist.
ADVERTISINGSome tourist buses allowed to enter passengers, since drivers could not verify tickets without internet.
On Monday night, the Spanish prime minister announced that 50% of the National Electricity Supply had been restored, ensuring the public that the work would continue throughout the night to solve the problem.
