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Damaged electricity pylon near Tesla's Gigafactory near Berlin

Photo: Filip Singer / EPA

The public prosecutor's office is investigating the arson attack on Tesla's power supply in Brandenburg for unconstitutional sabotage.

The investigation is also being carried out for disruption of public operations and arson, the spokeswoman for the Frankfurt (Oder) public prosecutor's office told the dpa news agency.

Unknown perpetrators set fire to an electricity pylon in a field on Tuesday, which is also responsible for supplying the only European Tesla factory in Grünheide near Berlin.

Production was therefore stopped for the time being.

Several communities in the region were cut off from power for hours.

A left-wing extremist group said it was responsible for the attack.

"The investigations are still being carried out in all directions against unknown persons and are ongoing," said the spokeswoman for the public prosecutor's office.

The Federal Prosecutor General has been informed about the proceedings.

"He will decide whether he will take charge of the investigation."

Police are looking for witnesses

The police are now looking for witnesses who may have noticed the crime on Tuesday night or who can provide information about the still unknown suspects.

It said relevant information about the incident would also be received.

Production at the Tesla factory will likely remain suspended until the end of next week.

The company announced this on Wednesday evening.

On Tuesday, plant manager André Thierig estimated the economic damage was in the high nine-figure range, i.e. hundreds of millions of euros.

However, he initially only assumed there would be a failure this week.

Industry expert Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, however, estimates the costs of the damage to be lower.

kko/dpa