Power gradually returns after major blackout in Spain and Portugal

Staying in Europe.

An unprecedented power outage plunged Portugal and Spain into complete darkness on Monday.

Park Hyo-been has more.

Cheers erupted as lights gradually flickered back on across the Iberian Peninsula late Monday night.

By early Tuesday, around 90 percent of Spain's national grid had been restored, with light also returning to Lisbon.

The massive blackout had plunged much of the region into chaos earlier in the day.

Traffic lights went dark, causing major traffic disruption.

Police were dispatched to key intersections to manually direct traffic.

Subways and trains ground to a halt, leaving hundreds of tourists and residents trapped in the dark, many experiencing moments of panic.

High-speed train services were also disrupted, forcing passengers to disembark.

"They opened the door so, you can you know, freshen up and everything. After I would say an hour, the battery died down on the train, and then that's it, the bathroom wasn't working. And so it's so stupid because everything was electronic."

As the Spanish government declared a national emergency, long lines formed outside supermarkets and gas stations as people rushed to stock up on essentials.

"I don't know, we've been without electricity for a while now. We don't know how long it's going to be, so we are buying what's possible to buy for the moment."

The exact cause of the outage is under investigation.

"It is better not to speculate. We will know the cause. We do not rule out any hypothesis, but now we must focus on the most important thing, which is to restore electricity to our homes."

The two countries held emergency cabinet meetings in response to the crisis.

Spain is receiving emergency electricity from France and Morocco, but no timeline has been given for full restoration.

Meanwhile, Portugal expects normal service to resume as early as Tuesday, prioritizing hospitals, airports, and railways.

Park Hyo-been, Arirang News.