The sweeping power outage that hit Spain and Portugal this week has raised questions about the electricity grid in a region not normally known for blackouts.

Spain and Portugal held emergency Cabinet meetings as evacuations from some public spaces took place. Spain's Interior Ministry has declared a state of emergency for affected regions that need it. Follow DW.

No electricity, no communication, and in some cases, no running water – that was the situation from around 11:30am yesterday in Portugal and Spain, following a widespread blackout. Many people were unable to work,