Major blackout strikes German city of Stuttgart, crippling traffic

A large-scale power outage struck Stuttgart on Thursday morning, paralysing traffic, disrupting public transport and triggering a wave of automatic fire alarms across the German city.

Grid operators have not yet identified the cause of the blackout.

Stuttgart police confirmed that numerous traffic lights have failed, including those at major intersections.

Police stated via the social media that patrol crews have been dispatched to manually regulate traffic at the busiest points.

The local light rail system came to a standstill for several minutes. Passengers reported being informed over intercoms that the delay was due to a grid failure.

While the fire department reported several calls, a spokesman explained that these were primarily triggered by automatic fire alarm systems reacting to the power fluctuation, and no active fires have been confirmed.

The south-western city of Stuttgart is home to some 600,000 residents and serves as a hub for international corporations and government institutions.

Police have not reported any injuries related to the blackout but continue to urge drivers to use extreme caution at intersections without functioning signals.