Berlin power outage hits 45,000 homes after suspected arson attack

Damage to cables means tens of thousands will be without electricity until Thursday amid freezing temperatures

Tens of thousands of homes in Berlin will be without electricity until Thursday as authorities struggle to repair power cables seriously damaged in a suspected arson attack, officials have said.

Some households may also be without heating as the outage has affected local systems at a time when the German capital is blanketed in snow and temperatures are hovering around freezing.