via: sansnom

Hamburg, the precious cables that run along the tracks

At around 3:30 am on Tuesday July 18 in Elmshorn (20 km north of Hamburg), two gazebos were deliberately set on fire in the immediate vicinity of the tracks. The fire also damaged cables along the tracks.

At around 6.50 a.m., the fire-fighting operation came to an end, and the site of the blaze was cordonned off by the forensic police. Total damage is estimated at 30,000 euros, while the destruction of the cable running the rail system caused widespread disruption to not only regional, but also long-distance train traffic between Hamburg and Kiel until the afternoon.

What struck the investigators was the fact that the gazebos were set alight in two different allotment gardens, both to the east and west of the tracks (i.e. on both sides). At present, the Elmshorn criminal police are seeking witnesses in an investigation into “arson”.

[German press summary (Tag24/Kieler Nachrichten), July 19, 2023]