Tens of thousands of Berlin residents face days without power after a fire, described by officials as a politically-motivated attack, crippled a critical electricity cable bridge.
Critical Infrastructure Targeted in Early Morning Blaze
The incident began on the morning of Saturday, January 3, when a fire erupted on a cable bridge spanning the Teltow Canal, close to the Lichterfelde power plant in the German capital. By Sunday, January 4, city authorities had declared the blaze an act of sabotage, pointing the finger at "left-wing extremists."
Berlin's Mayor, Kai Wegner, stated unequivocally to a German news agency that the perpetrators were "clearly left-wing extremists." He condemned the attack, stating, "It is unacceptable that once again clearly left-wing extremists have attacked our power grid and thereby endangered human lives."
Widespread Disruption Across the City
The damage to the infrastructure had an immediate and severe impact. Over 45,000 households and 2,200 businesses across four south-western districts were plunged into darkness. The blackout also disrupted heating and internet services, creating a major crisis during freezing winter conditions.
Franziska Giffey, the city's Senator for Economic Affairs, labelled it "a particularly severe power outage." The scale of the disruption extended to vital services, affecting care facilities, hospitals, social institutions, and numerous companies.
Long Recovery Amid Harsh Weather
While crews managed to restore power to thousands of properties by Sunday, authorities warned that many others could remain without electricity until Thursday. Recovery efforts have been severely hampered by snowy weather and freezing temperatures, which have also compounded the hardship for those affected.
Investigators are treating the fire as a possible act of arson. Authorities are working to verify the authenticity of a letter that has claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack. They have drawn comparisons to a similar power outage in south-east Berlin in September, for which radical activists reportedly claimed responsibility.
The incident has starkly highlighted the vulnerability of urban energy grids to targeted attacks and the profound consequences for public safety and essential services.
