Electricity supply has been largely restored to the city of Reutlingen in Baden-Württemberg and the surrounding municipalities following a large-scale power outage believed to have been caused by arson. Network operators announced on Tuesday that nearly all affected private households have been reconnected to the grid, at least on a provisional basis.
The outage began in the early hours of Monday morning after fires broke out at two electrical substations. The incidents left the city of 120,000 residents, along with several neighbouring communities, without electricity. Property damage to the power supply infrastructure alone runs into the millions of euros, according to the operators, with additional losses incurred primarily by commercial businesses.
A spokesperson for the Stuttgart General Prosecutor's Office, which is handling the case, confirmed that investigators have found indications that accelerants were used to start the fires. Forensic analyses and laboratory examinations are still ongoing. The investigation is being conducted on suspicion of deliberate arson and disruption of public infrastructure.
Notably, no written claim of responsibility has been received in connection with the attack. The spokesperson pointed out that comparable incidents in the past had been accompanied by such statements. The absence of a claim remains one of several open questions in the investigation, with no decisive breakthrough reached so far.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) stated in Berlin that there was "indication" that the attack was arson. Dobrindt drew a connection to the left-wing scene, which is also allegedly responsible for the arson attack in Berlin on January 3rd.
"This is a tactic used by the left in its fight against society, against the state," he said. A group calling itself Vulkan (Volcano) claimed responsibility for the Berlin attack – their statement of responsibility was deemed authentic.
Businesses in the affected area bore the brunt of the economic fallout. Companies were forced to halt operations entirely, and supermarkets had to dispose of perishable goods due to non-functioning refrigeration systems. As of Tuesday, around 50 commercial customers remained without a connection to the power grid. Operators indicated that their supply is unlikely to be restored before Wednesday evening at the earliest.
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