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Around 45,000 households were left without electricity in southwest Berlin after high-voltage power lines were damaged by a fire which authorities have described as a politically motivated attack by far left extremists.
Though power has been restored in some areas, thousands coule be left without power until Thursday after what authorities say was a politically motivated attack by “left-wing extremists”.
The blaze erupted on a cable bridge over the Teltow Canal, close to the Lichterfelde power plant on Saturday morning, local authorities said, affecting 2,200 businesses on top of 45,000 households across four districts, cutting their access to electricity, including internet and heating.
Many in southwest Berlin still in the dark
While the police continue to investigate, numerous households in south-west Berlin are still without power. A first emergency shelter has now been set up for those affected. A district care point is now available in a sports centre on Hüttenweg in the Zehlendorf district, according to a fire brigade spokesperson.
By Sunday morning, power was restored for some, while authorities project that around 35,000 others won’t have power until Thursday amid the snowy weather and freezing temperatures, which have been slowing down repairs.
Authorities also said they were working to confirm the authenticity of a letter claiming responsibility for the incident.
In the letter, which was also obtained by German media rbb, the anarchist “Volcano Group” claimed responsibility.
The text reportedly provided details on how the fire occurred. However, the authenticity of the letter has yet to be confirmed, Berlin police said on Saturday evening in response to a media enquiry.
What is known about “Volcano Group”?
Security authorities have had information about “Volcano Group” for years. According to domestic intelligence services, the group was founded in 2011. The Berlin Office for the Protection of the Constitution has dealt with it several times since then, including in 2011, 2013, 2018, 2019 and 2024.
“The group belongs to the left-wing extremist spectrum,” said security expert Felix Neumann from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in an interview with stern magazine. An analysis of previous letters of confession by the domestic intelligence agency has shown that the group is anarchist in nature. In terms of content, it is primarily concerned with issues relating to climate change and the climate crisis.
It is unclear how many people belong to the group. According to Neumann, there is no reliable information on the number of members or internal structures. So far, it has mainly been active in Berlin and Brandenburg. Previous targets have included cable ducts, radio installations and electricity pylons.
Similar attack on the power grid took place last year
This is not the first time that parts of Berlin have been affected by a large-scale power outage as a result of an arson attack. Last September, an attack on an electricity pylon in the Treptow-Köpenick district resulted in significant outages. That time, around 50,000 households and businesses were left without power. Full power supply was restored after around 60 hours.
According to authorities, however, the consequences of the current power outage are much more serious. Around 2,000 households in the Lichterfelde district regained power again on Sunday night. However, many people in Nikolassee, Zehlendorf and Wannsee will probably have to wait until Thursday before the power supply is fully restored.
