Police investigate power cut affecting 40.000 people in Reutlingen

Police are investigating the cause of a power cut that left around 40.000 people in Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg, without electricity on Monday. Some residents are still without power.

Widespread power cut in Baden-Württemberg

At around 1.45am on June 8, a failure at the Reutlingen-West substation caused around 7.600 buildings and around 40.000 people in the city of 120.000 inhabitants to lose power. Power was restored to many households after about five and a half hours. 

However, large parts of some municipalities, such as Kirchentellinsfurt and Wannweil, remain without power as of the morning of June 9. Grid operator Netze BW has said it is still working to reconnect all buildings but has not given a specific time frame for when they will likely be reconnected.

100 police officers have been deployed to the city, which sits at the foot of the Schwabian Alps, to increase police presence around critical infrastructure. Telephone and internet access in the area is also limited due to the failure.

LKA: Suspects and motives still unclear

The Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office (LKA) has now launched an investigation into possible causes. Investigators announced on Tuesday morning that fire accelerant was found at the scene.

Baden-Württemberg Interior Minister Manuel Hegel (CDU) said LKA would investigate all possible motives, from arson to terrorism. In an interview with ZDF, Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) said the incident was likely an arson attack. However, the LKA has yet to officially issue information about possible suspects or motives. 

The case in Reutlingen is reminiscent of two recent power cuts in Berlin. In September 2025, an attack on electricity pylons resulted in around 50.000 households and 2.000 businesses losing power. On January 3, 2026, an attack on a cable power bridge left 40.000 households and 2.000 businesses without power until January 7.

The latter attack was initially claimed by the left-wing Vulkangruppe as a protest against fossil fuels. However, there are some doubts around whether the group was responsible, and the investigation is still underway.