Tuesday, November 11
Two Berlin hospitals were struck overnight by a suspected arson attack and a separate explosion involving illegal pyrotechnics, authorities said on Tuesday. Police reported a fire at Charité’s Mitte campus shortly after midnight, while a detonation caused major damage at a Vivantes clinic in Buckow, Berlin-Neukölln.
Investigators believe illicit fireworks may have been used. No injuries were reported. The cases are being handled by the State Criminal Police Office’s state security division, which investigates politically motivated crimes, alongside explosives specialists. Officers have sealed off a wide perimeter around the Buckow site as they search for evidence, potential suspects, and any link between the two incidents. Police said it is still unclear who was behind the attacks or what triggered them.
A Vivantes spokesperson confirmed significant property damage at the radiotherapy entrance on Kormoranweg. The reception desk briefly caught fire, leaving the registration and waiting area temporarily unusable. Patients are being rerouted through a side entrance, but overall hospital operations remain unaffected.
