Darkness descends on Berlin.. ⁠The story of the longest power outage since World War II

Power returned to southwest Berlin on Wednesday, after a suspected arson attack on a power station by left-wing activists caused power outages to tens of thousands of homes.

This is the longest power outage in the German capital since World War II. Berlin Mayor Kai Wegener said: “Today is a good day for many of those affected who have been without electricity and heating since January 3.”

He added that the process of restoring electricity, which began at 11 a.m. local time (1000 GMT), was complex and gradual.

A fire that broke out early on Saturday destroyed a cable channel, cutting off electricity to about 45,000 homes and more than 2,000 businesses in the southwestern neighborhoods of the city at a time when temperatures are extremely low.

The far-left group Volkino, which said in 2024 it attacked a power pole near the Tesla factory outside Berlin, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The German army was called in to support residents suffering from a power outage, which also affected mobile communications, heating and trains.