In Berlin, a fire in a Cable-System, possibly caused by an attack, led to a massive power outage. Around 45,000 households and 2,200 commercial units in southwest Berlin were without power on Saturday, according to the network operator Stromnetz Berlin. The police are investigating on suspicion of arson.
“We are trying to gradually restore power to people,” said a spokesperson for Stromnetz Berlin. However, those affected in the Nikolassee, Zehlendorf, Wannsee, and Lichterfelde districts will probably have to do without power until at least early evening.
According to the police, a fire broke out in a cable bridge early Saturday morning. “Our criminal investigation department is on site and investigating on suspicion of arson,” the authorities explained on the online platform X. A spokeswoman said that forensic investigators were still on site and the investigation was ongoing.
The police warned that heating outages could also occur due to power outages. Those affected should check “whether they have the option of staying with friends or relatives.” In addition, mobile and landline telephone networks could also be affected.
According to S-Bahn Berlin, the stations in the affected districts are also without power. “There is no passenger information here, and ticket machines and validators are not working.” However, this is not affecting rail traffic. “The S-Bahn trains are running.”
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