At least three individuals have died in Spain following an unprecedented power outage that struck the nation on Monday, the Civil Guard confirmed to the BBC.
The victims were members of the same family in the northwestern municipality of Taboadela, according to reports from Spanish media outlets.
Authorities are currently investigating the possibility that carbon monoxide poisoning from a malfunctioning generator contributed to their deaths, though the Civil Guard has not released further information at this stage.
Officials continue to probe the source of the outage, which led to significant disruption across both Spain and Portugal on Monday.
According to Madrid-based newspaper El País, those who died in Taboadela were a married couple and their adult son.
El País further reported that a care worker discovered the bodies in their beds on Tuesday.
Additional fatalities are under review, including a woman in Madrid who reportedly lost her life in a fire believed to have been sparked by a candle during the blackout, according to local sources.
The victim, in her fifties, was found deceased on Monday night following a blaze in the Carabanchel district of the capital.
Thirteen people were treated for smoke inhalation, including five who required hospitalisation, city emergency officials confirmed.
Elsewhere, reports from Valencia indicate that a woman in her forties also died, though Spanish media remain divided as to the exact cause of her death.
Some local police sources have indicated that the woman, who had a pre-existing lung condition, may have died after her ventilator lost power during the blackout, according to news reports.
However, El País cited regional healthcare sources who maintain she died of natural causes related to various health complications.
The large-scale blackout resulted in widespread disruption across Spain and Portugal, with neighbouring Andorra and parts of France also impacted.
In both Spain and Portugal, traffic lights failed, metro services were suspended, and businesses were unable to process card transactions, causing long queues at the few working ATMs.
Mobile networks were initially inoperative, leaving many residents seeking reliable information amid the blackout.
Authorities in Spain and Portugal are working to determine the reasons behind the widespread outages.
Residents have described how they managed daily life without electricity during the disruption.
Although Spain benefits from a diversified energy portfolio, restoring operations following the blackout demanded extraordinary efforts.
Eyewitness Camilla Sherwin, from Oundle, reported seeing extensive lines at cash machines and police coordinating traffic.
The Spanish national grid operator’s preliminary findings indicate there is no evidence to suggest a cyberattack was involved.