Tens of thousands of households in Berlin were left without electricity until Thursday as responsible services attempt to restore cables damaged by a possible arson, officials reported, according to LETA citing AFP.
On Saturday morning, emergency services received reports of a fire involving several high-voltage cables near a bridge close to a power station.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze; however, around 45,500 households and 2,200 businesses in the southwestern part of Berlin were left without electricity, reported the network operator Stromnetz Berlin.
The extensive damage means that approximately 35,000 households will remain without electricity until the second half of Thursday, authorities in Berlin stated. For the others, electricity supply is expected to be restored by Sunday morning.
"We are facing a particularly serious power supply disruption that has affected tens of thousands of households and businesses, including care facilities, hospitals, numerous social institutions, and companies," said Berlin's Senator for Economics Franziska Giffey.
The centralized heating supply system, which delivers heat through a pipeline network in the area and operates on electricity, was also affected.
Stromnetz Berlin warned that repair work "will take a very long time," and media reports indicate that winter weather conditions are complicating the installation of new underground cables.
The police dispatched about 160 officers to the scene in the Lichterfelde area and reported that they are conducting an investigation into suspected arson.
Police with loudspeakers in vans circulated through the affected neighborhoods, urging residents to temporarily stay with friends or relatives if possible, to conserve mobile phone battery life, and to stock up on flashlights.
The incident also impacted local train stations — electronic information boards and ticket vending machines were not functioning, although trains continued to operate.
Giffey stated that the outage on Saturday was more serious than a similar incident in September when tens of thousands of Berlin residents were also left without electricity after a fire damaged power lines.
At that time, police also suspected arson, and an unnamed anarchist group claimed responsibility, posting a message online.
Germany remains on heightened alert to prevent sabotage against its infrastructure, including from countries such as Russia.
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