Large parts of Berlin have been left without electricity after an arson attack by "extreme leftists".
Thousands of residents across the German capital have been affected and remain without electricity following a fire that struck a cable bridge spanning the Teltow Canal on Saturday morning.
The blaze, which occurred close to the Lichterfelde power plant, has been attributed by city officials to a politically-motivated assault carried out by left-wing extremists.
Grid operator Stromnetz Berlin reported that more than 45,000 households and approximately 2,200 businesses lost power across the Nikolassee, Zehlendorf, Wannsee and Lichterfelde districts.
Authorities are treating the incident as suspected arson and are currently working to verify a letter purportedly claiming responsibility for the attack.
Berlin's Mayor Kai Wegner condemned the attack in stark terms.
He said: "It is unacceptable that once again clearly left-wing extremists have attacked our power grid and thereby endangered human lives."
The city's Senator for Economic Affairs, Franziska Giffey, described the incident as "a particularly severe power outage," noting that those affected include hospitals, care facilities, social institutions and commercial enterprises.
More than 45,000 households and approximately 2,200 businesses lost power
|REUTERS
Investigators have drawn parallels with a comparable blackout that struck south-east Berlin in September, for which radical activists subsequently claimed responsibility, according to the Associated Press.
Restoration work has been significantly hindered by snowy conditions and sub-zero temperatures, making circumstances considerably harder for those without heating.
Whilst electricity was restored to thousands of properties yesterday, authorities have warned that many residents face remaining without power until Thursday.
Local officials have established community centres and sports halls as emergency shelters where affected residents can seek warmth during the cold spell.
Authorities have warned that many residents face remaining without power until Thursday
|REUTERS
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Beyond electricity, the outage has also disrupted heating and internet services across the affected neighbourhoods, compounding difficulties for households and businesses alike during the winter weather.