In a tragic incident in Sundbyberg, Sweden, five workers lost their lives when an improperly installed construction elevator plummeted 20 meters. A CEO and two elevator installers now face charges for workplace safety violations. The accident, one of the worst in modern Swedish history, highlights critical lapses in safety protocols.
Three Charged After Fatal Elevator Accident in Sundbyberg
Three Charged After Fatal Elevator Accident in Sundbyberg – Five Dead
Anton Runsvik and welder Bashir were among the five colleagues who died just days before Lucia 2023. The elevator at the construction site where they worked was not properly installed, causing them to fall over 20 meters to the ground. Now, a CEO and two elevator installers are charged with workplace safety violations.
This is one of the worst workplace accidents in modern Swedish history. Five people died when a construction elevator collapsed at the Ursvik site. Two of those who entered the elevator and plummeted to their deaths were 25-year-old Anton Runsvik and 26-year-old Bashir.
The elevator is estimated to have hit the ground at speeds of up to 90 km/h.
According to the investigation, the elevator fell because a screw joint was missing, which increased the load on the mast beyond what the structure could handle. As a result, the mast sections detached, and the elevator fell to the ground.
The screw joints were likely missing since an elevator height adjustment made in early November 2023.
CEO and Elevator Installers Charged
The control system did not detect the installation deficiencies, and according to the indictment, the elevator would likely not have fallen if it had been installed correctly or if self-inspections had been conducted.
A CEO and two elevator installers are now charged with workplace safety violations.
– I am charging the installers with workplace safety violations for causing the deaths of five people through gross negligence and endangering two others who were about to enter the elevator but avoided the collapse. The installers did not install all four load-bearing screw joints between the relevant sections, causing the elevator mast to collapse and the elevator car to fall approximately 30 meters to the ground, says senior prosecutor Lars Ågren, who led the preliminary investigation.
The CEO of the elevator company is also charged, as Ågren believes he has personal responsibility for the negligence.
– He did not ensure that self-inspections were conducted, documented, and followed by the installers in accordance with the Swedish Work Environment Authority's regulations. If he had organized the work within the company so that there were routines for how self-inspections should be conducted, the collapse likely would not have occurred, says Lars Ågren.