German police probe suspected attack on Cologne-area power substation after deliberate short circuit
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German police probe suspected attack on Cologne-area power substation after deliberate short circuit
Explosive attack on German power substation causes short circuits, no blackout
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German police are investigating a suspected attack on a power substation near Cologne after a deliberate act caused a short circuit and multiple power line failures late Tuesday, authorities said.
A police spokesperson in Essen told AFP on Wednesday that officers were called to the Amprion substation in Bergheim’s Rheidt district around 8 p.m. local time on Sept. 1. “We do not consider this a technical malfunction but a deliberate criminal act,” the spokesperson said .
The incident triggered outages in several transmission lines, though Amprion confirmed no broader power disruption occurred. “The general power supply was never affected, and system stability was maintained at all times,” the energy provider said in a statement early Wednesday .
RWE Power, which operates nearby plants, reported that five power station units in the Rhineland mining district were temporarily taken offline as a result. The company stressed that grid stability remained intact .
The Bergheim incident follows a separate attack on a substation near the Jänschwalde coal plant in Brandenburg on Tuesday. Authorities there said homemade incendiary devices resembling commercial fireworks were used, though no injuries were reported .
Investigators have not confirmed a link between the two cases. Police in Essen said experts from Amprion and security authorities are working to clarify the circumstances and assess the damage .
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