Press
There was a serious industrial accident during the construction of the Brenner Base Tunnel. A worker is fatally injured. It is the second incident this year.
Steinach am Brenner – The longest underground railway connection in the world is currently being built under the Brenner Pass between Austria and Italy. However, during work on the Brenner Base Tunnel on Tuesday (May 21st), a serious industrial accident involving a forklift occurred between 2:20 p.m. and 2:35 p.m.
Collided with a truck: Worker dies in an accident in the Brenner Base Tunnel
According to the Tyrolean police, the accident occurred in a supply tunnel in the municipality of Steinach am Brenner. A 41-year-old worker was busy transporting a metal pipe into the supply tunnel with a forklift.
The man is said to have collided with a truck that was parked at the southern wall of the tunnel, the police said in a notice on Wednesday (May 22). The 41-year-old was thrown from the driver’s cab of the vehicle and fatally injured. It is still unclear why the worker collided with the truck. The Innsbruck public prosecutor ordered an autopsy and the seizure of the forklift.
Fatal work accident in the Brenner Base Tunnel: For 41-year-old, all help comes too late
Meanwhile, the construction company of the Brenner Base Tunnel has also commented on the fatal accident. BBT SE deeply regrets the “tragic accident”. After the accident was reported, “the rescue chain was immediately set in motion”, BBT SE was informed by the Tyrolean daily newspaper quoted. However, any help came too late for the 41-year-old. He died of his serious injuries in the tunnel.
This is not the first fatal accident this year. At the end of March, a worker from Germany died during construction work on the Brenner Base Tunnel. For reasons still unknown, the 57-year-old was hit by a transport locomotive while carrying out surveying work.
At 64 kilometers, the tunnel with two main tubes is expected to be the longest railway tunnel in the world. Completion is scheduled for 2028. This should make freight transport and a train journey from Munich to Verona much more attractive. With costs of 10.5 billion euros (as of 2023), the construction is one of the most expensive projects in Europe. Because of the high costs, the EU public prosecutor is investigating the tunnel bosses. (kas/dpa)
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