Four Workers Dead in a Week as German and Swiss Authorities Investigate String of Construction Accidents
14.06.2026 - 01:08:06 | boerse-global.de
A 29-year-old construction worker died Friday afternoon on the A8 Kaiserstuhl tunnel site in Giswil, canton Obwalden, when a metal element struck him in the head just after 16:15 as he was lifting it. Despite immediate resuscitation efforts, the man succumbed at the scene. Recovery operations lasted hours, with emergency services including Air Glaciers, the Sarnen fire brigade, and a care team deployed. Canton Obwalden police, the public prosecutor’s office, and the Zurich Forensic Institute are jointly investigating the cause of the accident.
The same day, in Lehrensteinsfeld near Heilbronn, a 59-year-old municipal yard employee was fatally injured while repairing a faulty streetlight around 10:45. The lamp mast hit him in the head, and he died at the scene. Police have classified the incident as a workplace accident.
These two deaths follow a third fatality on Thursday in Hedeper, Wolfenbüttel district, where a 63-year-old man fell into a silo at a biogas plant on company premises. Firefighters recovered him lifeless; the reason for the fall remains unclear.
New details have also emerged about the May 26 bridge accident in Horb, Freudenstadt district, which killed three construction workers aged 40 to 46 when a transport gondola plunged from height. The Rottweil public prosecutor’s office reported that a steel cable snapped after becoming entangled with cross-running cables. The site had already flagged problems in 2024: inspectors discovered broken bolts in February, pointing to a material defect. An ecumenical memorial service is planned for the evening of May 26 at the Horber Stiftskirche.
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The string of fatal accidents has intensified scrutiny of occupational safety practices. Supervisory authorities and employers’ liability insurance associations are examining whether safety regulations were followed or whether technical defects are to blame. Investigations remain ongoing across all four sites.
