Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez makes statement regarding power outages

Warning the public against speculation regarding the outages, Sanchez stated that an "electricity crisis" has been declared in the country.

Sanchez stated that efforts are underway to determine the cause of the power outage, saying, "We do not yet have definitive information regarding the causes of this outage. We are not ruling out any assumptions; we will find out the reasons for the outage."

CALL TO THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

Pointing to the level 3 emergency plan in Spain's autonomous structure, where local administrations transfer their authority to the central government, Sanchez said that the regions of Andalusia, Extremadura, and Madrid have requested this plan.

Sanchez said, "The government, as expected, has accepted your request and will take over the administration. If other autonomous regions wish, the government will accept it."

Prime Minister Sanchez stated that security forces have increased their presence on the streets, adding, "There are currently no security issues."

Expressing that generators in hospitals and health centers are operating without problems, Sanchez reported that air, road, and sea transportation have been affected, but work is continuing to restore them to normal.

Sanchez called for travel to be kept to a minimum while the power outage continues, noting that only official information should be followed.

"ALTERNATIVE PLANS ARE BEING PREPARED"

Emphasizing that power line technicians are continuing their work to find and resolve the causes of the outage, Sanchez stated that Spain is preparing alternative plans to cope with the blackout.

Reporting that electricity flow has begun to be restored in some regions in the north and south of Spain, Sanchez stated that hydroelectric power plants across the country are being reactivated, which will contribute to the restoration of electricity flow nationwide.

Emphasizing that ATMs have been affected by the power outage, Sanchez stated that payment systems are operational.

Sanchez noted that his country is in contact with various international institutions and organizations, including NATO.

Reminding that in addition to the difficulties faced by the public due to the power outage, there are also economic losses, Sanchez said, "As a government, we are aware of how great an impact and importance what happened today has."

Sanchez added that the National Security Council will meet to assess the situation and that they will take additional measures if deemed necessary.

WHAT DOES THE LEVEL 3 EMERGENCY PLAN COVER?

According to the Civil Protection System Law, the level 3 emergency plan, reserved for large-scale emergencies, covers the Ministry of the Interior taking over the management and coordination of resources across all administrations in Spain's autonomous structure.

The ministry has the right to mobilize troops and equipment nationwide when it deems it necessary.

A level 3 emergency under the Civil Protection System Law corresponds to "declared emergencies that concern national interests."

News Source: AA