Panic buying, no trains: Former UAE residents recall 'mayhem' post power outage in Spain, Portugal

Khaleej Times

29-04-2025

For former UAE resident Femina Naseer, Monday was a chaotic experience. The mother of four was one of the thousands affected by power outages in Lisbon for over 9 hours.
'The power went out at around 11.30am,' she told Khaleej Times. 'Initially, we thought it was just our building, but soon everyone in our group started saying they had also lost power. Our phone signal stayed on for two hours after the power outage began. So I could communicate with my husband, who was out at the time. Luckily, all four of my children were at home.'
The outage brought parts of Spain and Portugal to a standstill, grounding planes, halting public transport, and leaving the two countries scrambling to restore power to millions of homes and businesses.
According to her, there was sheer chaos on the streets as well. 'When the traffic lights went out, my husband was caught in the mayhem. But within about half an hour, people began getting out and controlling the traffic themselves,' she said. 'The airport really suffered. The petrol stations also stopped working. It was really a one-of-a-kind experience.'
She added that her husband stopped at a Chinese store to buy candles and battery-operated emergency lights. 'The shop owners had kept all battery-operated things in the front of the shop,' she said. 'They were selling like hotcakes. I asked him not to stop at the supermarket because a friend of mine who went to buy candles got stuck there for hours to pay. There was a lot of panic buying, so supermarket shelves were almost completely emptied out.'
She said that within a few hours, the phone and internet stopped working. 'It was not possible to make local calls either,' she said. She said that many institutions rely heavily on phone lines, adding: 'Last November, the medical system changed, and people with emergencies also have to call for an appointment. They will then direct people to the right emergency room.'
'Doors not opening'
Her first concern was that she couldn't get her front door open. 'We have a door that opens with a remote control,' she said. 'So our home maintenance company sent someone to open it. We then put a sponge so it would not close."
She added that with the building entrance being powered by an electric system, controlled by a card or a remote, the outage meant that people inside their homes could not ring in people coming from outside.
They had to manually come down and open the building gate. This also meant that tenants who were outside their building, with no one at home, were locked out unless the company came and opened it for them, Femina added.
She said that the family was lucky to have cash at home and that she offered to send food out to those who were unable to cook. 'A lot of people use induction cookers,' she said. 'We were lucky enough to have a gas burner cooker, so I offered to cook for those who couldn't. In Lisbon, there are a lot of old people living in two- or three-story buildings. These people would have been impacted when the lifts went out of order. The initial estimate was that we would be without power for 72 hours but thankfully, power was restored in 9 hours.'
For Femina's four kids — twins aged 18, an 8-year-old, and a 6-month-old- it was an experience of a lifetime. 'My kids cleaned and slept,' she said. 'My 8-year-old even found a toy that had been missing for two years. For me, the experience reminded me of my childhood. My kids brought all their toys out into the hall and played with them. I think it was a good bonding experience.'
She added that some schools gave students the day off on Tuesday. According to her, many families are now stocking up on battery-operated appliances and food items to avoid being caught in a similar situation in the future.
'Had to sit on a bench at the station'
Mita Srinivasan, a UAE resident, has been checking her phone since Monday evening. Her 75-year-old cousin, Sumit Das Gupta, who is a US citizen, is stuck in Spain with his wife after train services were disrupted due to the power failure.
'They were travelling from Barcelona to Madrid last evening,' Mita said. 'They were asked to go to the North Station for a bus, but once they got there, they were told no tickets could be issued because the systems were down.'
The couple had to return to the South Station and decided to wait overnight, sitting on a bench.
'I can't believe they had to spend the night in a train station. They are elderly, and I was so worried. My cousin is over 75 years old. He's a US citizen and loves travelling, but this situation really caught them off guard.'
'He was in line for tickets at 7am after spending the night on the bench at the railway station,' said Mita.
Mita said she felt helpless being so far away, but has been in touch with them constantly to ensure they are okay.
Flights between UAE and Europe affected
Flights between Dubai and Lisbon experienced disruptions following the blackout, an Emirates spokesperson confirmed to Khaleej Times on Tuesday.
However, Etihad Airways, which operates flights to both Spain and Portugal, said its operations were unaffected.
Travel rush between Europe and UAE to pick up soon
According to Subair Thekepurathvalappil, Senior Manager at Wisefox Tourism, this incident comes just before a major surge in UAE-Europe travel.
'Currently, travel between the UAE and Europe is mostly limited to business travellers,' he said. 'But from mid-June onwards, we expect a big jump in travel, especially with the summer holidays starting. Flights will be packed through September, and even finding seats may become difficult due to high demand.'
He added that travellers should be prepared for unexpected issues and advised people to book early, carry essentials, and stay updated with airline alerts.