Berlin Blackout Crisis: Heat and Electricity Off Until January 8
Left-wing militants have claimed responsibility for a targeted arson attack on Berlin's power grid, resulting in a massive blackout that has affected tens of thousands of households across the German capital. The incident occurred early Saturday morning on a bridge spanning the Teltow canal, where several high-voltage cables were severely damaged by fire near the Lichterfelde heat and power station. According to the utility company Stromnetz Berlin, the sabotage initially cut off electricity and heating to approximately 45,000 homes and 2,200 businesses in the Nikolassee, Zehlendorf, Wannsee, and Lichterfelde districts. An extremist group known as Vulkangruppe published a 2,500-word manifesto claiming the attack was an act of resistance against the climate crisis and the expansion of artificial intelligence. The group stated their intention was to cut the energy supply to the ruling class, specifically targeting some of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods while condemning fossil fuel consumption and the surveillance potential of tech corporations, reports NewsToday24 citing theguardian.
German security authorities have classified the Vulkangruppe manifesto as credible and launched a high-level investigation into the act of sabotage. Berlin's mayor, Kai Wegner, condemned the attack as an unacceptable threat to human life, particularly as nighttime temperatures dropped below freezing following moderate snowfall. The power outage caused significant disruptions to essential services, affecting elderly care homes, hospitals, and high-rise residents reliant on elevators. With mobile networks down in several areas, police were forced to use vehicle-mounted loudspeakers to provide emergency information to the public. While Stromnetz Berlin managed to restore power to approximately 10,000 households by Sunday, an estimated 35,000 homes may remain without heat and electricity until January 8. Technical teams report that repair efforts, which involve laying new underground cables, are being hindered by the severe cold. This incident follows a pattern of extremist activity by Vulkangruppe, who previously claimed responsibility for an arson attack on a Tesla factory pylon in March 2024. Domestic intelligence watchdogs have monitored the group for over a decade, describing them as a far-left organization that intentionally selects targets to maximize civilian disruption and complicate repair efforts.
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