Tens of thousands in Berlin face a mid-winter blackout after an arson attack claimed by a far-left group, raising security and infrastructure concerns.
BERLIN: Anger is simmering in parts of Berlin after an arson attack claimed by a far-left group caused a blackout, plunging tens of thousands into icy darkness.
The power cut in the capital’s southwest has halted local trains and forced the closure of shops, schools, and hospitals.
The incident has sparked questions about Germany’s resilience to sabotage of its critical infrastructure.
Jutta Herter, 77, said she was “simply furious” with those behind the attack on high-voltage cables first reported Saturday morning.
The attack left 45,000 households in the snow-covered city in the dark and many without heating.
Herter said even lighting a fire in her bedroom only raised the temperature to a chilly 13C.
Dozens of other residents sought warmth, hot drinks, and electricity to charge devices at the Zehlendorf town hall.
“You wonder what kind of people they are, what kind of feelings they have,” she told AFP about the attackers.
“It’s unbelievable, you just can’t comprehend it.”
The arson was claimed online by an extremist group calling itself Vulkangruppe, or Volcano Group.
The group said it was targeting “the fossil fuel economy” driving climate change.
It follows a similar attack claimed by an anarchist group in September, which also caused a major blackout.
Germany’s domestic intelligence service is checking the authenticity of the Vulkangruppe’s claim of responsibility.
The case comes as Germany has accused Russia of a spate of “hybrid attacks”, including espionage and disinformation.
Conservative MP Roderich Kiesewetter raised the possibility of Moscow’s involvement in the latest and September attacks.
He told Welt TV that a back-translation of the claim into Russian provided a clearer linguistic representation than the “broken German” version.
“So, either the far-left extremists can’t speak proper German or they’re being told what to say,” he said.
Berlin emergency services, supported by the army and charities, scrambled to help those affected.
Shelter was provided in hotels, schools, and sports centres for residents, including those from care homes.
Around 14,500 households had been reconnected to the grid by Monday noon, said local authorities.
Power is not expected to fully return to the area until Thursday.
Civil servant Philipp Pasemann, 32, was charging his phone at the town hall, wrapped in a thick coat.
“It’s very dark and cold in the morning, but if you light candles in the evening and wrap yourself up, it’s fine,” he said.
Berlin mayor Kai Wegner said the incident showed “once again” that “our critical infrastructure is vulnerable”.
Marc Henrichmann, who chairs the parliamentary oversight committee for intelligence, vowed the government would combat violent extremists.
