Blackout in Berlin: after five days of darkness, electricity is restored, but schools remain closed
7 January 18:42
In southwestern Berlin, power was restored on Wednesday after a massive blackout that lasted five days. According to Berliner Morgenpost, the blackout was formally declared over at 11 a.m. — the first households already have power again, and the rest will be reconnected within a few hours, reports "Komersant Ukrainian".
City officials note that the repairs were completed faster than previously expected.
Why it matters
The accident was one of the biggest energy crises in the German capital in recent times. At its peak, more than 45,000 households and about 2,000 commercial consumers were left without power. Some subscribers were without electricity in temperatures as low as minus seven degrees, which exacerbated social and infrastructure risks.
Even on Wednesday morning, before the mass restoration began, nearly 20,000 homes and 850 businesses remained without power.
What the authorities say
The Berlin city administration urged residents to be careful when reconnecting to the grid and not to turn on powerful electrical appliances immediately in order to avoid overloads and new accidents.
At the same time, schools in the Steglitz-Zehlendorf district will not resume work this week. The authorities explain this by the need to carry out technical inspections of buildings and restore full heating after a prolonged power outage.
What is known about the causes
The blackout occurred on Saturday morning as a result of arson damage to the cable infrastructure. A left-wing extremist group claimed responsibility for the sabotage. Due to damage to the network, power engineers had to carry out complex and lengthy restoration work.
The restoration of power supply to all consumers should be completed in the near future.
