French authorities are investigating two power outages on the French Riviera caused by suspected sabotage.
On Sunday, a fire struck a transformer in western Nice, cutting power to about 45,000 homes, including the city’s airport. The power was restored later in the day.
This outage followed a fire the previous day at a power substation in the Var region, which disrupted electricity for around 160,000 homes throughout the French Riviera. That attack affected traffic lights, ATMs, and other public services, and also caused disruptions at the Cannes Film Festival.
According to initial reports, police are treating the incidents as arson carried out by an organized group.
Two anarchist groups in France have claimed responsibility for the attacks. In an anonymous letter posted online, they stated that their aim was to disrupt the Cannes Festival and cut power to industrial sites.
No arrests have been made so far, and the investigation is still ongoing.
In a post on X, Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi strongly condemned what he described as “malicious acts” and announced plans to reinforce surveillance around strategic electrical sites in response.
In a post on X, local lawmaker Éric Ciotti condemned the sabotage as “terrorist acts” and urged the state to react “forcefully” against the perpetrators.
