Thousands lose power after three substations targeted in Washington state, sheriff says - Reuters

Dec 25 (Reuters) - Thousands of residents were without powerfulness adjacent Tacoma, Washington, aft 3 electrical substations were vandalized, section authorities said connected Sunday, adding that it was not yet wide if the Christmas Day incidents were linked.

The Pierce County Sheriff's Department said robberies were reported astatine 2 substations belonging to Tacoma Public Utilities and different belonging to Puget Sound Energy. Deputies cited forced introduction into the fenced-in area, with instrumentality vandalized but thing taken from the sites, it said. More than 14,000 customers were affected.

"At this clip deputies are conducting the archetypal investigation. We bash not person immoderate suspects successful custody. It is chartless if determination are immoderate motives oregon if this was a coordinated onslaught connected the powerfulness systems," the section said successful a connection connected its website.

Earlier this month, a inferior successful North Carolina reported outages from what section authorities said were orchestrated shootings present being investigated by national instrumentality enforcement.

The FBI has besides been investigating shots fired adjacent a powerfulness installation successful South Carolina days later, and whether those 2 incidents could beryllium related, NBC News and different section media person reported.

Utilities nationwide person been strained by a terrible acold upwind strategy that swept crossed the state this week, leaving much than 300,000 without powerfulness from the wintertime storm.

In eastbound Piece County, astir 2,700 radical serviced by Tacoma Public Utilities remained affected midday connected Sunday aft an archetypal 7,300 residents mislaid powerfulness successful the area, astir 45 miles (72 km) southbound of Seattle, Tacoma Public Utilities said successful a station connected Twitter.

"We are moving arsenic rapidly and safely arsenic imaginable to reconstruct power," it said, noting that its substations "were attacked" earlier connected Sunday greeting and that the incidents were reported to police.

Representatives for Puget Sound Energy could not beryllium instantly reached for comment.

Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Leslie Adler

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