In a shocking turn of events, the French Riviera is facing its second power-related sabotage incident, with a fire at a substation in Nice affecting at least 45,000 homes. Authorities confirmed that the blaze, which erupted around 2 AM local time on Sunday, was a result of a malicious act, following a massive blackout in Cannes just a day earlier.
The chaos began with police discovering "tire tracks" near the damaged substation, indicating potential foul play. Nice’s mayor, Christian Estrosi, denounced the actions as harmful to the country, while deputy mayor Gaël Nofri suggested the fire might be of criminal origin. The previous day, many residents in Cannes suffered a blackout during the city's prestigious film festival, attributed to suspected arson.
Now, with significant disruptions to essential services, including Nice Airport and local trams, city officials are stepping up security measures around electric facilities. An investigation into possible organized arson has already commenced, with Nice prosecutor Damien Martinelli emphasizing the need to determine the circumstances of these alarming incidents. As of now, no direct connection has been made between the two outages, yet the urgency for enhanced protection remains clear.
The chaos began with police discovering "tire tracks" near the damaged substation, indicating potential foul play. Nice’s mayor, Christian Estrosi, denounced the actions as harmful to the country, while deputy mayor Gaël Nofri suggested the fire might be of criminal origin. The previous day, many residents in Cannes suffered a blackout during the city's prestigious film festival, attributed to suspected arson.
Now, with significant disruptions to essential services, including Nice Airport and local trams, city officials are stepping up security measures around electric facilities. An investigation into possible organized arson has already commenced, with Nice prosecutor Damien Martinelli emphasizing the need to determine the circumstances of these alarming incidents. As of now, no direct connection has been made between the two outages, yet the urgency for enhanced protection remains clear.