INTL German police probe balloon that caused mass blackout

Millwright

Knuckle Dragger
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BERLIN (AP) — German police are investigating the source of a balloon that caused a massive blackout in and around the eastern city of Dresden.

Authorities said the metal foil balloon caused a short-circuit at an electricity substation in Dresden shortly after 2 p.m. Monday, causing a power outage that affected hospitals, trams, factories and about 300,000 households. Dozens of people were trapped in elevators until electricity about an hour later.

Claudius Rokosch, a spokesman for utility company SachsenEnergie, said Tuesday that the charred, aluminum-covered balloon found at the substation featured a clear warning not to fly it near electrical wires.

Thomas Geithner, a spokesman for Dresden police, said investigators don’t currently have any evidence that the balloon was directed into the overhead cables intentionally.

“We are currently working on the assumption that at best it was careless, or simply a coincidence,” he said, adding that the lack of a claim of responsibility also indicated it wasn’t a politically motivated attack.

“But we can’t rule it out 100% either,” Geithner said.

 

summerthyme

Administrator
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They want to find someone who let a mylar balloon go? Really? What's next, they're going hunting for the guy who spit on the sidewalk yesterday?
Well, for the latter, they at least could do DNA testing! This seems to be a but off a wild goose chase...

I find it interesting that the "charred" balloon still had a perfectly legible warning...

Summerthyme
 

Millwright

Knuckle Dragger
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I find it interesting that the "charred" balloon still had a perfectly legible warning...

I think that was an evidence bag.

The balloon is that gob of foil in it.

germany-blackout-police-spokesman-thomas-geithner-remains-of-metal-foil-of-balloon-press-confer-640x426.jpg
 

Jackpine Savage

Veteran Member
I was working in downtown Minneapolis, so late 80's or early 90's, and they had some sort of party on Hennepin Island. They released a bunch of mylar balloons and at least one ended up in the substation on the island. It took out power for all of downtown for several hours.
 

bw

Fringe Ranger
I find it interesting that the "charred" balloon still had a perfectly legible warning...

"Charred" is just the reporter taking license. The thing was zapped by a near-instantaneous spark, melted by the heat, but probably didn't actually burn. The thing in the bag doesn't look black.
 

Sacajawea

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Those things are totally annoying & a menace when you live in the woods. Some kid lets go; breeze carries them for MILES till they start to lose helium; and come to rest in trees or on the ground -- which, when the light is right causes a visible flash that is MOST distracting.
 

zeker

Has No Life - Lives on TB
its not red

if UFOs are called weather balloons

then this could be first contact with UFOs
 

Mark D

Now running for Emperor.
You can bet that real terrorists are paying attention.
Just a bit.

Along those lines... I know a guy who spent a couple decades working with Heavy Power generation and distribution; he is NOT a person that you would want to piss-off. There are plenty of widgets in the system that are absolutely critical, and REALLY difficult to repair or replace. A person like him could cripple vast sections of the grid with very little effort.

Here's hoping the "Bad Guys" don't have any similarly experienced people in their cadre.
 

Ractivist

Pride comes before the fall.....Pride month ended.
Hang a couple hundred feet of carbon fiber behind few dozen of them..............
That concept is endless....we are so vulnerable...let alone airborne drops......living in the tech times with no shortage of terrorists who are capable. It's so easy, it's so easy. The opening salvo's will be felt, as well as the follow ups.
 
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