Tens of thousands without electricity: Power outage in Berlin may last until Thursday
Tens of thousands of residents in southwest Berlin are still without electricity after a fire damaged a cable bridge over the Teltow Canal, affecting 45,000 homes and 2,200 businesses. Authorities warned that full restoration of electricity may not occur before Thursday.
The cause of the outage is a fire at the cable bridge near the Lichterfelde power station. The fire has been extinguished, but Stromnetz Berlin, the network operator, clarified that complications in establishing alternative lines will delay the full restoration of electricity. About 10,000 homes are expected to regain power from alternative sources starting Saturday evening.
The police indicate the possibility of an arson and have sent a forensic investigation team to the site. Emergency efforts include hundreds of firefighters, volunteer teams, and the federal technical relief agency to assist residents and monitor the situation. Authorities have urged residents to check on their neighbors and avoid using gas heaters indoors.
The incident particularly affected nursing homes and hospitals in the Steglitz-Zehlendorf area. Fire crews have relocated some residents and patients from two facilities to safer locations, while additional measures to support those affected are being assessed. Emergency lines remain open for those in need of assistance.
Compare the Stromnetz Berlin incident to a similar outage in September last year in Southeast Berlin, which affected around 50,000 customers and lasted several days due to a politically motivated arson on the power towers. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the current fire, emphasizing the dynamic and ongoing nature of this crisis.