Berlin, on Edge, Tries to Restore Power After Arson
Passers-by stand in the light of a fire department help point in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2025, during a power cut in south-west Berlin after a fire on a cable bridge. (Christoph Gollnow/dpa via AP)
An arson attack on an overhead cable link in Berlin has left tens of thousands of residents without electricity, heat, or reliable cellphone service as freezing temperatures persist. Firefighters responded Saturday to a fire on a cable bridge spanning a canal that connects a major power plant to neighborhoods in the city’s southeast. Authorities say incendiary devices were placed under five main power lines.
The far-left environmental group, the Vulkan Group, claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the New York Times. The outage has raised questions about the security of critical infrastructure. “A country like Russia will be carefully watching this to see where the critical points are,” one resident said. “I’d prefer it wasn’t quite so obvious.”
Officials are taking the claim seriously and have asked federal prosecutors to take control of the investigation. The group said the attack targeted the fossil fuel industry in response to the climate crisis and the expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure, CNBC reports.
Berlin Interior Affairs Minister Iris Spranger called the incident “left-wing terrorism” rather than extremism. She said the group accepted “collateral damage to the life and limb of people in Berlin.”
The blackout initially affected about 45,000 households and 2,200 businesses. By Monday night, power had been restored to some areas, but roughly 27,800 homes and 1,450 businesses remained offline, according to the Times. Schools continued holiday closures.
Authorities estimate full restoration could take until Thursday. Meanwhile, Berlin has opened heated shelters and public spaces where residents can eat, warm up, and charge devices. The Red Cross and other organizations are assisting.
With mobile networks disrupted, the fire department set up eight physical emergency call points to ensure residents could reach police or ambulances. A similar, though less severe, cable attack last September left 45,000 people without power for about 60 hours.
These incidents have heightened concerns about Germany’s infrastructure resilience. The German government has warned that the country has become a target for sabotage linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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