At 22.20 last night, Metroselskabet was informed that a 40-year-old man of Polish origin had died in a work accident at the Ny Ellebjerg metro construction site. The accident occurred while steel beams were being hoisted out of the shaft with a crane. For unknown reasons, the beams fell down and hit the man, who tragically died from his injuries.

‘We were informed late last night that there has been a tragic fatal accident on the M4 Sydhavn construction site. It's a terrible situation that we are of course deeply affected by. Our deepest sympathy goes to the employee who died and his family and relatives. The police, emergency services and the Danish Working Environment Authority have been present at the construction site after the accident and have completed their work. Metroselskabet is now awaiting the results of the Danish Working Environment Authority's investigation and an assessment of what caused the accident,’ says Metroselskabet's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Henrik Plougmann Olsen.

Together with the main contractor, TUNN3L, Metroselskabet has initiated an investigation with the assistance of external specialists to identify the exact cause of the tragic accident and ensure that lessons are learnt so that similar accidents cannot happen again.

Today, all work with cranes has been stopped at the construction sites and safety procedures for crane work have been carefully reviewed. Information meetings have been organised at all construction sites, where all employees have been informed about the accident. The affected colleagues of the man and others in need have been offered crisis counselling.

The tragic accident is also a blow to Metroselskabet's efforts to promote a good safety culture at M4 Sydhavn. From the start of the project up to and including March 2021, there have been 26 lost-time accidents on the M4 Sydhavn. This corresponds to an accident rate of 10.2, while the M3 line had an accident rate of 19.8. In comparison, in 2019, the Danish construction industry had an accident frequency rate of 29 for blue-collar workers and 23.5 for white-collar workers.

There has never before been a fatal accident on the metro construction site.