Southwest Berlin Power Outage: Alleged Arson Attack Leaves Thousands Without Electricity
An alleged arson attack in Berlin over the weekend caused a massive power outage, affecting 45,000 households and 2,200 commercial entities. The fire erupted on a cable bridge over the Teltow Canal NEAR the Lichterfelde power station, exposing residents to near-freezing temperatures.
Grid operator Stromnetz Berlin confirmed the fire was extinguished on January 3, with restoration efforts underway. Technical measures in the Zehlendorf district have already reconnected 27,800 households and 1,450 businesses, including emergency power generators.
Five hospitals and 67 of 74 care facilities were restored by January 4. Full power is expected to return by January 8, amid sub-zero temperatures and snowy conditions. Local officials suspect left-wing extremists may be behind the attack.
