‘This malfunction shows how bad we depend on the internet. We already behave like chickens without a head ‘

Suddenly the traffic lights no longer do it. At a intersection in the Delicias district in the Spanish capital Madrid, total traffic chaos is created at the stroke of twelve hours. There is a lot of honking and shouting by pedestrians who are almost hit. The electricity in the street has failed, local residents still think. « Do you have reach on your mobile? » Asks neighbor Sara. « No, no service. »

Millions of inhabitants in Spain and Portugal were hit on Monday afternoon by a power outage that completely stilled both countries. The Lisbon airport was evacuated, train stations in both countries were flooded with stranded travelers, subways with passengers are stuck in tunnels. In Madrid, the roaring sirens of emergency services sound throughout the day. On Monday evening, the Spanish Minister of the Interior proclaimed the state of emergency for parts of the country. Failing security can lead to looting, so is the fear.

« This is an exceptional incident, » says Eduardo Prieto, director of network manager Red Eléctrica, in a first statement. They cannot say anything about the cause, except that it will take between six to ten hours before the current is back. The lack of clarity about the cause causes unrest among the population at the early afternoon. « Madre Mia, is this a cyber attack? », Calls 38-year-old Mariano who is waiting for the bus. An older man nods carefully and shows the screen of his mobile. “That’s what El País writes. I hope they are mistaken.  »

Those suspicions are further cranked when the Portuguese minister Manuel Castro Almeida says that it is probably a cyber attack. The cyber branch of the Spanish intelligence service CNI is investigating whether there are indeed foreign attacks. But according to the Spanish and Portuguese government, it seems strong that it is a technical problem. The high -voltage lines would have been damaged by extreme temperature differences.

Shutters down

At a location of the Guarda Civil in Madrid, agents in and out of the building with satellite telephones and walkie talkies in hand. An agent tries to calm a worried resident who stands in front of the gate. « We do not yet know what exactly is going on, but you will continue to be calm. You might be able to go home better, » the agent told the elderly woman who was on his way with her walker to the supermarket further down the street. In contrast to, for example, the Netherlands where many essential buildings are provided with emergency generators, it is different in Spain. All supermarkets are closed, officials run out ministries, luxury hotels such as Ritz and The Palace are pitch dark. Large chains such as McDonalds, KFC and Starbucks have the shutters down. Only hospitals are still functioning.

It is so bizarre that we are always connected with the world and now know nothing that is playing in our own country

In the famous Retiropark, there seems to be nothing wrong in the first instance. People take a walk, runners make their daily round. But outside the gate at Puerta de Alcala, the hysterical whistle of the police is audible. They try to steer the traffic in the right direction. The terraces around the ARC are normally packed, but because pins are not possible and all kitchen appliances do not work, the tables are empty.