Sabotage suspected! Hundreds of thousands without TV and cell phones

By Michael Evers

Cenves (France) - Following a suspected arson attack on a telecommunications mast in the south of France, around 800,000 people have no cell phone reception and only limited television reception.

A fire broke out on a telecommunications mast in France at night. (symbolic image)
A fire broke out on a telecommunications mast in France at night. (symbolic image)  © Henning Kaiser/dpa

The fire on the 90-metre-high mast in Cenves near Lyon occurred on Monday night, reported the broadcaster France Info with reference to the network operator TDF (Télédiffusion de France).

The regional TDF director spoke of an "undoubtedly criminal act".

The damage was enormous and everything was being done to fully restore reception within 24 to 48 hours. Technicians and the police were on site.

The background is still unclear. However, it is not the first time that transmission systems have been affected by sabotage, TDF announced.

In the summer, an anarchist group claimed to have set fire to a transmission mast on the fringes of the Olympic Games.