Spain is mourning after at least five people lost their lives during the massive blackout that hit the Iberian Peninsula on Monday. The outage affected large portions of Spain, Portugal, and southern France, with disruptions reported across transportation, communication, and emergency systems.
According to ABC, the most tragic incident occurred in Taboadela, Galicia, where three members of a family—a couple aged 81 and 77, and their 56-year-old son—were found dead in their home. Preliminary investigations suggest carbon monoxide poisoning from a poorly ventilated generator used to power a respiratory device during the outage.
The family had reportedly acquired the generator in response to the blackout, aiming to support the elderly father’s oxygen therapy. Their bodies were discovered Tuesday morning after a housekeeper alerted authorities when no one answered the door.
In Alzira, Valencia, a 46-year-old woman suffering from a rare illness that required oxygen support also died during the power outage. Her family reported that the machine stopped working shortly after 12:30 PM when the blackout began. However, the regional Health Department clarified that the patient had multiple underlying conditions and only required nocturnal oxygen therapy. Her death was certified as natural.
Another fatality occurred in Carabanchel, Madrid, where a 52-year-old woman died in a fire caused by a candle lit during the outage. The blaze left thirteen others with smoke inhalation injuries.
Both Spain and Portugal experienced several hours without electricity on Monday as authorities scrambled to identify the cause. While speculation initially included the possibility of a cyberattack, officials have ruled it out.
By Tuesday at 11:15 AM (local time), the peninsular power grid had been fully restored, and all systems were operating normally, according to Spain’s energy authorities.
Authorities continue to investigate the root cause of the grid failure that led to this rare and deadly blackout. The incident underscores the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and the need for resilient emergency energy systems, especially in residential care and medical contexts.