"Berlin has been plunged into its longest power outage since the end of the Second World War after an arson attack damaged high-voltage cables near a combined power and heating station, leaving around 25,000 households and 1,200 businesses without electricity for several days. Footage captured on Tuesday shows darkened neighbourhoods with traffic lights out and restaurants shuttered, some displaying handwritten notices explaining closures caused by the blackout. Police cars and an aid helicopter were seen operating in affected areas as emergency services responded. Schools, grocery stores and petrol stations remained closed, while firefighters and technicians worked across the city to restore power. "My grandmother is in a nursing home; they had no electricity for two days. We were debating whether to move her or not," a local woman said. "Some of my friends still don't have electricity, and neither does my daughter. It's freezing cold in their apartments; they're down to 10 degrees now,” she added. In response, the city has opened dozens of 'warming centres', including town halls, parish halls and public swimming pools, allowing residents to warm up, shower and charge electronic devices. A left-wing group calling itself the 'Vulkangruppe' (Volcano Group) claimed responsibility for the attack in an online letter, saying it was carried out as a protest against the 'fossil fuel economy'. Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner condemned the January 3 incident as 'terrorism', stating that the attackers had knowingly endangered the lives of elderly people and children in freezing conditions. The attack has also sparked a nationwide debate in Germany over the vulnerability of critical infrastructure."