Power Outage in Southeast Berlin Resolved After 60 Hours

Good news for residents of Treptow-Köpenick: the extensive power outage affecting the southeastern region of Berlin has been resolved after approximately 60 hours. The power supply has been restored to all customers, as confirmed by the network operator, Stromnetz. This incident marks the longest outage in the area in over 25 years.

The outage initially impacted around 50,000 customers following a significant fire caused by an extremist attack. This event has been classified as the most severe blackout since a similar incident in 2019, which left over 30,000 households without electricity for about 30 hours.

The fire, which occurred in the Johannisthal district, severely damaged several high-voltage power lines located at the base of two electricity pylons. Firefighters took an hour to extinguish the blaze. In response to the incident, Stromnetz quickly implemented a temporary solution by connecting two nearby power lines to restore service.

Authorities have noted that the outage affected various critical facilities, including S-Bahn stations, shopping centers, individual shops, and nursing homes. Schools were also forced to close on Wednesday as a result of the widespread power failure.

Technological infrastructures, particularly in the Adlershof technology park, faced significant challenges due to the outage, which weakened mobile network signals and disrupted emergency phone lines. Repair work on the damaged high-voltage cables commenced shortly after the incident but proved to be time-consuming.

Investigators have linked the fire to left-wing extremist groups. Berlin's Interior Senator, Iris Spranger, indicated that an online claim of responsibility attributed the attack to the same group involved in a similar incident near the Tesla factory in Brandenburg earlier this year. The authorities believe that the perpetrators acted with considerable criminal intent and demonstrated a high level of sophistication.

As repairs on the damaged infrastructure are set to begin in the coming days, Stromnetz has assured the public that there will be no further planned power interruptions as a result of this incident. The response involved collaboration among various agencies, including the fire department, police, and technical relief services, working closely with the local district to address the aftermath of the attack.