Berlin:Tesla has halted production at its German factory after electrical cables powering the plant were set on fire in an alleged act of 'sabotage' by a far-left group, according to Al Jazeera. Reports of a burning electricity pylon near the Tesla plant, southeast of Berlin, prompted the early summoning of emergency personnel on Tuesday.
Although the fire was put out, the electric car factory in the state of Brandenburg and the nearby communities lost electricity due to damage to the power cables. According to police, they have launched an investigation into suspected arson. The Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group), a group of far-left activists, claimed responsibility for the act, reported Al Jazeera.
"With our sabotage, we have set ourselves the goal of achieving the biggest possible blackout of the Gigafactory," the group said in a statement. The group expressed worries over the plant's effects on the local water supply and the environment, and said "We feel connected to all the people who won't let Tesla turn the tap off."
Referring to the possible attackers, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, wrote on X, "These are either the dumbest eco-terrorists on Earth or they're puppets of those who don't have good environmental goals." "Stopping production of electric vehicles, rather than fossil fuel vehicles, ist extrem dumm," he added, using German to say "is extremely stupid", according to Al Jazeera.