Indian man, his Malaysian wife share how they navigated 12-hour blackout in Portugal

India Today

30-04-2025

An Indian man living in Portugal with his Malaysian wife shared how his family managed a 12-hour power cut after a massive blackout plunged parts of Spain, Portugal, and southern France into darkness.The power outage hit millions across the Iberian Peninsula on Monday, bringing life to a standstill in several regions. Flights were grounded, hospitals halted non-urgent procedures, and public transport collapsed in many cities. But amid the chaos, a family in Portugal decided to find calm in the dark.advertisementThe man posted about his experience in a post on Instagram. "Portugal without electricity sent us back to the cave ages, which, to be honest, I didn't mind," he said. "For a brief moment, when the whole region was in somewhat panic mode, my first thought was: 'My kids are not going to have internet tonight'. How did you guys do?"
The family shared a slideshow that included photos and snippets from their blackout diary. One of the slides read, "Portugal without power for 12 hours. No internet, no phone network, no contact with the outside world. Our house runs on electricity, so no cooking either." Despite the initial discomfort, the family said that the mood shifted soon after. "After the shock were off, it all started to feel liberating," the post read. While they made do without connectivity or cooked meals, they described it as a rare pause from routine.advertisementThe post reads, "We made tuna sandwiches and played bananagram next to candles and leftover Christmas lights. For the first time in a while, I didn't have to ask anyone to turn off their devices. It was liberating.""Then we took a walk in the pitch black road, star gazed and caught fireflies. I might have enjoyed it a little more than I expected," the last slide in the post reads.Take a look at the post here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by @portuguese_chindiansPortugal's main electricity supplier, Redes Energeticas Nacionais (REN), said the blackout was caused by a rare atmospheric phenomenon. According to them, extreme temperature changes in Spain triggered "induced atmospheric vibration" in high-voltage lines.But Spain's meteorological agency, Aemet, pushed back. The department said that it hadn't recorded any unusual temperature shifts or weather anomalies on April 28. The power slowly returned by Monday evening.