Germany offers 1 mn euro reward for Berlin blackout culprits

Berlin: Germany is offering a one million euro ($1.2 million) reward for information leading to the arrest of suspected far left militants whose arson...

Berlin: Germany is offering a one million euro ($1.2 million) reward for information leading to the arrest of suspected far-left militants whose arson attack caused a massive blackout in Berlin, the interior minister said Tuesday.

The electricity outage left roughly 45,000 homes and 2,200 businesses without power for nearly a week in the middle of winter in the southwest of the German capital.

Police are hunting members of the far-left "Vulkangruppe" (Volcano Group), which claimed responsibility for the early January blackout in several online statements.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt on Tuesday vowed to "strike back".

"I think it's appropriate to underscore the seriousness of the situation with a reward of this magnitude," he said.