Dylan Wagemans
A MAN was rescued after spending five terrifying hours trapped in an elevator during Monday’s unprecedented blackout that left large parts of Spain and Portugal without power.
The man had been out grocery shopping in Valladolid, a city in northwest Spain, when the elevator he was using suddenly ground to a halt due to the nationwide power outage.
Emergency crews were called to the scene, and firefighters were forced to break through a wall to reach him.
In dramatic footage shared on social media, they can be seen dragging the man out to safety, applause and cheers erupted from bystanders as the man emerged, visibly relieved after his ordeal.
Watch his rescue below.
Across Spain, emergency services were stretched thin, in the Madrid region alone, firefighters carried out 286 rescue operations and freed 174 people who had become trapped in elevators, according to the head of the regional government.
The massive power outage brought public transport systems to a standstill.
Trains stopped mid-route, roads became clogged, and metro services were suspended in several cities.
Videos circulating online show stranded commuters walking through dark metro tunnels, searching for an exit.
While the cause of the blackout is still under investigation, authorities have confirmed that it was one of the largest power failures in recent years, affecting millions across the Iberian Peninsula.
