Berlin mayor played tennis while thousands left without power: Report

BERLIN

Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner was reportedly playing tennis while thousands were left without power following a Jan. 3 arson attack, German public broadcaster RBB reported Wednesday.

The report said Wegner played tennis between 1 pm and 2 pm on the first day of the outage.

Wegner confirmed the report to Welt TV, saying he played tennis to clear his head, kept his mobile phone switched on and resumed work immediately afterward.

Meanwhile, at a news conference Jan. 4, Wegner said on the first day of the outage, he stayed at home and in his office with the doors closed, spending the entire day on the phone coordinating the crisis.

The revelation that Wegner was playing tennis, contrary to his earlier statements, further fueled public anger.

Opposition parties accused Wegner of misleading the public and failing to show leadership during the crisis, while explanations from the state government failed to calm criticism.

Around 100,000 people in Berlin experienced one of the longest power outages since the post-World War II period, remaining without electricity and heating for days in the middle of winter.

By the end of the fifth day, Stromnetz Berlin announced that electricity had been restored to all subscribers.

An 83-year-old woman was found dead in her home during the outage, with police saying it is unclear whether her death was caused by a fall or underlying health issues, and that an autopsy has been ordered.