Homes left without electricity during the blackout that affected Berlin, PHOTO: Emmanuele Contini / Imago Stock and People / Profimedia Images
Power was restored to southwest Berlin on Wednesday after a suspected arson attack on a power station by left-wing activists caused a blackout for tens of thousands of households – the longest such outage in the German capital since World War II, Reuters points out.
“Today is a good day for the many affected people who have been without electricity and heat since January 3,” said Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner.
He said the operation to restore power, which began at 11:00 a.m., was a complex and gradual process.
A fire that broke out on Saturday morning destroyed a cable duct above a water channel, knocking out power to about 45,000 households and more than 2,000 businesses in the city's southwestern districts amid freezing temperatures.
The far-left activist group “Vulcan”, which in 2024 said it attacked a high-voltage pole near the Tesla factory near Berlin, said it was also behind the new act of sabotage.
The German army was mobilized to support residents affected by the blackout, which also disrupted mobile phone connections, heating systems and train traffic.
The lingering fallout from the incident led some politicians to call for additional investment to protect the capital's infrastructure, especially as the domestic intelligence agency warned of increased risks posed by left-wing militants.
