Power is gradually returning to Spain following a nationwide blackout that sparked travel chaos and panic buying.
Millions of homes and businesses were left without power or internet from around 12.30pm on Monday.
Many supermarkets without generators were forced to close, while those that remained opened witnessed panic buying in scenes not seen since the Covid pandemic.
Meanwhile, scores of trains and flights have been cancelled, delayed and diverted, with the knock-on effects to be felt for days.
On the Costa del Sol, shoppers were seen filling up trolleys with bottled water and toilet rolls, as rumours of a sabotage attack by Russia or terrorist organisations spread like wildfire.
One supermarket in Marbella was pictured making people queue outside after enacting a one-out one-in policy.
The frenzy also spread to petrol stations, with dozens of drivers queueing into the road to fill up their tanks.
Junctions had to be cut off as traffic lights stopped working, creating chaos, while motorways became deadlocked. Meanwhile, pharmacies were unable to dispense medicines.
A worker from the Farmacia de Guadalmina in Marbella told the Spanish Eye: ‘We had to close because we can’t look up the price of anything and the robot that picks out the medicine is run on electricity.’
Police officers were sent out to patrol the streets in a bid to keep the peace and maintain order.
One officer told the Spanish Eye on Monday: ‘We don’t know what has happened, we were given orders via radio to get on the streets and be visible.
‘All we know there is no power in Spain and Portugal and possibly elsewhere in Europe.
‘No one can make calls to the police so we have to make ourselves seen and available, but we are just as in the dark as everyone else.’
In Marbella, the power cut at around 12.30pm, and in some areas did not return until around 3am.
A the time of reporting, the exact cause of the outage remains unknown.
