Photo: EPA
Parts of the German capital remain without electricity until January 8.
An ultra-left extremist group calling itself “Vulkan” has claimed responsibility for setting fire to a cable bridge over the Teltow Canal, an attack that left parts of Berlin without power on Saturday morning, ARD reported.
The group sent a letter to regional police earlier on Saturday, describing its actions as a “successful act of sabotage” and an “act of self-defense and international solidarity with all those who defend the Earth and life.” Germany’s state security unit within the Federal Criminal Police Office examined the letter and concluded that it was authentic.
“We apologize to the less affluent residents of southwest Berlin. Our sympathy for the numerous villa owners in these districts is limited,” the group wrote.
Around 45,000 households in southwest Berlin lost electricity on the morning of Saturday, January 3, following a fire in the cable network. The districts most affected were Nikolassee, Wannsee, Zehlendorf and Lichterfelde.
As of Sunday morning, approximately 7,000 households had been reconnected to the grid. All major hospitals in the affected areas have also resumed normal operations. However, for most residents, power disruptions may continue until Thursday, January 8.
Berlin’s Senator for Economic Affairs, Franziska Giffey, who is also responsible for public infrastructure, said the power cables crossing the Teltow Canal were damaged as a result of a deliberate attack. According to her, the perpetrators placed incendiary devices directly beneath the cables on the bridge. The devices generated extremely high heat and burned for a prolonged period.
As a result, five high-voltage cables and ten medium-voltage cables were severely damaged.
