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Berlin Blackout Ends After Suspected Arson Attack

Permanent repairs are expected to take months.

Overview

  • About 50,000 customers were reconnected roughly 60 hours after the outage began using a temporary bypass that linked high‑voltage cables exposed about four meters underground.
  • Stromnetz Berlin reports the restored supply remained stable overnight and the two damaged masts were assessed as still usable.
  • Police and the domestic intelligence service are analyzing an online claim of responsibility deemed authentic, with investigators focusing on domestic left‑wing extremists and checking parallels to earlier sabotage cases.
  • Tram services resumed and S‑Bahn nodes, schools, care homes, shops, and the Adlershof technology park and laboratories reported disruptions and losses, with compensation questions under legal review.
  • The operator warns repairs could take several months, possibly into 2026, the temporary setup limits some network projects, and plans call for burying remaining overhead lines in a grid that is already about 99% underground.