Reutlingen Substation Arson: Power Outage Affects 50 Businesses

The General Prosecutor's Office Stuttgart and the State Office of Criminal Investigation of Baden-Württemberg jointly stated on Tuesday that, according to the current state of the investigation, one or more as-yet unknown perpetrators had entered the grounds of the substation. "Nach derzeitigem Ermittlungsstand sind ein oder mehrere bislang noch unbekannte Täter auf das Gelände des Umspannwerks eingedrungen," the statement said. The perpetrators had "dort an mehreren Stellen Brände gelegt," as the statement continued.

Investigation: General Prosecutor's Office and State Office of Criminal Investigation Involved

Investigators therefore assume intentional arson. According to the authorities, there are no indications so far of a technical defect or any other unintentional incident. No concrete suspects have yet been arrested or publicly identified.

The consequences of the power outage were significant in the region. Numerous shops and businesses had to suspend their operations; supermarkets disposed of perishable goods because refrigeration had failed. According to the grid operators, property damage alone amounts to a figure in the millions. In addition, there are damages incurred especially by commercial customers.

Consequences for Businesses and Households

On Tuesday, according to the grid operators, around 50 business customers were still without a power connection. Almost all affected private households have in the meantime been at least provisionally reconnected. The grid operators are continuing to work on fully restoring the power supply for the remaining connections.

Appeal to the Public

The State Office of Criminal Investigation of Baden-Württemberg has turned to the public in the course of the investigation and is asking for information from the population. Witnesses who made observations in the vicinity of the affected substations during the night in question are being sought. The General Prosecutor's Office and the State Office of Criminal Investigation are conducting the investigation jointly.

The fires at the two substations initially caused a large-scale power outage in Reutlingen and the surrounding municipalities overnight into Monday. No definitive figures have yet been released regarding the exact total amount of the damage, including losses suffered by the affected companies. The investigation into the perpetrators and their motive is ongoing.