Earlier this year, Berlin experienced its longest power cut since the Second World War, lasting five days and affecting 45,000 homes, 2,200 businesses, and four hospitals. The outage began on 3 January when saboteurs set fire to five high-voltage cables under a bridge over the Teltow canal in the southern part of the city. The attack targeted a critical infrastructure point where cables cross water, as most of Berlin's electricity cables are buried underground.
The fire caused a blackout in four districts, including some affluent suburbs. While power was restored to 10,000 homes the next day, 35,000 homes remained without electricity for five more days. Hospitals were particularly affected: the Immanuel hospital in Wannsee relied on emergency generators, and its chief technician, Sebastian Brandt, had to source extra diesel as the outage was expected to last until the end of the following week. The Hubertus hospital faced heating system failure due to gas pumps not connected to the generator, prompting evacuation plans for 150 patients.
Grid operator Stromnetz Berlin restored power to all four hospitals by the next morning using emergency power lines. However, residential areas remained dark for days, leading to anger among residents over lack of information and poor handling by authorities. Some elderly residents were moved to emergency accommodation, and a dystopian atmosphere was reported, with people relying on Christmas lights for illumination. The incident also fostered community spirit, with locals offering to charge appliances at the hospital.
The identity and motives of the saboteurs remain unknown. Speculation ranges from eco-terrorists and far-right extremists to Russian proxies. The attack has raised concerns about the vulnerability of Berlin's power grid and the potential for similar disruptions in the future.
