The power outage affected five hospitals and 66 care homes, according to major media reports, and these facilities received emergency generators. Nineteen schools and numerous kindergartens were temporarily closed starting January 5 due to the outage, and some schools that were due to reopen on Monday after Christmas holidays remained closed. The Berlin State Government declared a 'Large-Scale Emergency (Grossschadenlage)', enabling deployment of the Bundeswehr, Federal Police, and aid organizations.
By January 5, power was restored to 14,000-15,000 households and about 300 businesses, according to research from two sources. However, around 10,000 households had been reconnected as of Sunday afternoon (January 4), indicating a discrepancy likely due to different reporting times. Stromnetz Berlin expected full restoration of electricity by Thursday, January 8.
The human cost of the blackout was illustrated by the ordeal of Andreas Thomsen, a 68-year-old ALS patient left without power and reliant on a ventilator with limited battery life. m. only two hours remained.
m. Thomsen was disconnected from his stationary ventilator and moved to the ambulance with a mobile ventilator. Germany's federal prosecutor is investigating the incident and will interview Thomsen.
The Volcano Group, in its claim of responsibility, described the attack as an 'act of self-defence' and solidarity with those who protect the earth, according to research. The group's statement dismissed sympathy for affluent residents and did not mention people whose lives were put at risk. The Volcano Group has appeared repeatedly over the past decade in connection with acts of sabotage against rail networks.
The attack was part of a series of attacks exposing Germany's infrastructure vulnerability, according to a WELT investigation. Authorities had focused on Russian sabotage, but a domestic far-left network is a more significant threat. The incident raises questions about security measures for critical infrastructure, though specific steps being taken remain unclear.