- French authorities are investigating two suspected sabotage attacks that caused power outages in Nice and Var, affecting over 200,000 homes, including the Cannes Film Festival.
- Officials believe organised anarchist groups deliberately set the fires; no arrests have been made, but security has been tightened at critical sites.
French authorities have launched an investigation into two major power outages on the French Riviera, both believed to be acts of sabotage.
On Sunday, May 25, a fire broke out at a transformer station in western Nice, cutting power to approximately 45,000 homes, including Nice Côte d’Azur Airport. Crews restored electricity later the same day.
The incident followed a similar fire on Saturday, May 24, at a power substation in the Var region, which left around 160,000 homes without electricity. That outage also disrupted public infrastructure, including traffic lights, ATMs, and essential services. It caused temporary complications at the Cannes Film Festival, which is currently underway.
Police, citing early evidence, believe the fires were deliberate and carried out by an organised group. Two anarchist groups have claimed responsibility. An anonymous online letter stated they intended to disrupt the Cannes Festival and shut down power to industrial sites.
Authorities have not made any arrests, and the investigation remains ongoing.
In response, Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi condemned the incidents as “malicious acts” in a post on X. He announced increased surveillance at critical electrical infrastructure sites to prevent future attacks.
Local lawmaker Éric Ciotti also responded on X, labelling the sabotage as “terrorist acts” and calling on the government to respond “forcefully” against those responsible