The radio of a delivery van, key to informing people on the streets of Alicante

The streets quickly filled after a widespread blackout at 12:33 PM left Spain without electricity. In the shops of central Alicante, everyone stepped outside due to the lack of light, which made it impossible to continue working normally. Small groups of people discussed initial theories: a cyberattack, a breakdown, or a failure in Alicante or across Spain.

In the heart of Séneca Square, a delivery van blared the radio at full volume while a dozen people listened to the news. Delivery driver Alejandro López explained that he had stopped to make a delivery and decided to stay due to people's curiosity. "I'm not scared yet, that's why we're paying attention to what they say," López joked, "we have the Civil War shelter nearby." Carlos, who had come to listen to the radio, was there with his wife on a day trip to Alicante and couldn't contact his family in Valencia. "We'll have to wait, we've already been through a pandemic," he remarked.

Although panic did not spread initially, Carisma, an electronics store in the Autobuses neighborhood, was overwhelmed. Within minutes, a queue of eight people formed, seeking battery-powered radios to stay updated. "We're very worried, we have a baby at home, and we're scared something might happen," explained one customer, while another questioned, "I don't know if it will be resolved quickly." On the store counter, a small battery-powered radio broadcasted the latest news to a silent clientele.

In a local supermarket, the staff waited patiently for the electricity to return. "We're not worried, it's more boring than scary. We'll have to wait here until it comes back or the owner arrives to close it manually with the key," commented Diana, one of the workers.

The pharmacy staff were also waiting. "We can't dispense medications," explained pharmacist Sergio Riual. The establishment couldn't access the electronic prescription system, so they could only provide over-the-counter products and only accept cash payments. Regarding refrigerated medications, they remained calm as the fridges were prepared to maintain them even during a blackout like this.

Paco, an elderly man, was upset as the blackout caught him at the bank, and then he tried to go to the pharmacy for his medications, but they couldn't provide them. "Now I'm going home, and I can't take the lift," worried the elderly man who uses a walker to get around.

Carlos López, a retired mathematics teacher, also visited the pharmacy, blaming the international situation. "What bothers me is that both Trump and Putin are playing with us. Today they disrupt Spain, and tomorrow others," he explained.

In the terraces, normality persisted during the first hour, but problems arose when it came time to pay the bills. "You can't pay by card, the phones aren't working, and we can't leave because we can't settle the bill," explained Cristina Domingues, a customer at the Refugio bar in Séneca Square. "It's crazy that this is happening here in Spain, it's strange," she commented, concerned with her companion.

The initial calm gradually gave way to concern on the streets of Alicante. Shopkeepers began to manually lower their shutters, and traffic chaos ensued due to the lack of traffic lights, while the city awaited the return of electricity.