Outage caused by works on La Rambla
The municipal market of La Boqueria and a large section of the Raval neighbourhood lost power early on Thursday 8 October 2026, after an excavator ruptured an underground electricity line during renovation works on Carrer del Carme. Endesa confirmed the fault occurred shortly after 08:30, affecting around a thousand customers across several blocks up to Ronda de Sant Antoni.
Restoration completed ahead of schedule
Initially, Endesa staff expected power to be restored by around 13:00. However, engineers successfully repaired the damage shortly before noon, bringing electricity back approximately an hour earlier than forecast. Workers on site explained that multiple connections were impacted by the rupture.
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Merchants face disruption
Traders at La Boqueria reported immediate difficulties, with card machines and digital scales out of service. Several expressed concern over the cold chain, warning that prolonged outages risked spoiling perishable goods. Tourists inside the market used phone flashes to take photos in the dim lighting.
This incident follows a wave of recent power outages in Barcelona linked to both public works and heavy rainfall over the past few days. On 7 October, Endesa reported 4,636 customers across Catalonia without power due to storms, with 862 in Barcelona alone. That number had decreased to 3,199 by the afternoon, according to company data cited by Europa Press.
Reported by lavanguardia.com, catalunyapress.cat, endesa.com, Europa Press, elnacional.cat, Redacción de Barcelona Press, elperiodico.com, beteve.cat, El Nacional, La Vanguardia Barcelona.
