Four days and counting: Berlin’s power woes from a suspected terrorist strike continue to torment southwestern districts, where 24,700 homes and 1,120 businesses languish without electricity. The chaos traces back to Saturday’s fire in a cable to a key power station, which first severed supply to 45,000 households and over 2,200 commercial outlets.
Operator Stromnetz Berlin faces formidable repair challenges in areas including Nikolassee, Zehlendorf, Wannsee, and Lichterfelde. Despite optimism for Thursday fixes, delays persist. Hospital services across five affected facilities normalized by Sunday morning, averting health crises.
Intensifying the hardship is Berlin’s icy spell of snow and sub-zero chills, trapping people indoors. One Nikolassee resident, Christiane, noted her indoor temperature at 11.5°C: ‘Cool for sleep, sure—but this extreme?’ The self-proclaimed Vulkan Group took credit via an online post, claiming a hit on gas power station links in Lichterfelde.
In a firm Tuesday address, Mayor Kai Wegner branded the incident a ‘left-wing terrorist attack,’ dismissing it as anything less. ‘This city witnessed terrorism,’ he declared. Echoing him, Interior Senator Iris Spranger detailed a ‘carefully planned’ assault brimming with criminal purpose.
Germany’s Federal Prosecutor spearheads the probe into possible terror membership, sabotage, arson, and service disruptions. As lights flicker back piecemeal, the event spotlights urgent needs for bolstering grid security against ideological extremists, with Berlin emerging as a stark warning for urban energy defenses.