Suspected arson triggers Berlin blackout, 40,000 homes and businesses without electricity

A fire on two high-voltage pylons in southeastern Berlin triggered a major power outage Tuesday morning, leaving more than 40,000 households without electricity in what authorities suspect was an arson attack.

The fire in the Johannisthal/Königsheideweg area damaged several 110-kV lines connected to substations on Moissistraße and Wegedornstraße as well as the Neukölln district heating plant, German outlet Welt reported.

Traffic lights failed, public transport was disrupted, and parts of the city’s emergency services were temporarily unavailable.

Stromnetz Berlin, the operator of the capital’s electricity grid, said nearly 50,000 customers were affected, including about 42,000 households and 3,000 businesses.

Police stations, fire stations and a digital radio base station were also hit. The fire was extinguished Tuesday morning, but the duration of the outage remains unclear.

Read more: TVP World