Arson suspected in Reutlingen power outage after substation fire

German authorities are investigating a major fire at a power substation in Reutlingen, suspecting arson as the cause of the blaze that led to extensive power outages. Police and prosecutors stated that initial findings suggest one or more unknown individuals deliberately entered the substation's grounds and started fires in multiple locations, potentially using accelerants.

The fire broke out on the night of June 8, causing the Reutlingen-West substation to fail and damaging another facility. This resulted in tens of thousands of residents and businesses being without electricity for hours. Critical infrastructure, including a hospital, was affected, forcing some businesses to halt operations and leading to the disposal of perishable goods due to non-functional refrigeration.

While power has been largely restored to affected households and businesses in Reutlingen and surrounding areas, the damage is estimated to be in the millions of euros. Investigators are appealing to the public for any information regarding suspicious persons or vehicles seen near the substation around the time of the incident, urging anyone with relevant details to come forward.