Is there a common explanation for the deaths of three Northvolt employees? In any case, the Swedish police announced this Thursday that they would investigate a possible link between the three deaths of employees who worked on the first site of the electric battery manufacturer Northvolt, in the north of Sweden.
No criminal acts suspected
A 33-year-old man, who worked as a floor technician at “Northvolt Ett” (the “gigafactory” currently under construction in Skelleftea) was found dead on January 5 in his bed, according to Swedish media. The following month, on February 22, a 19-year-old man also died in his sleep, the day after his work shift.
Police opened two separate investigations at the time, concluding that the deaths were unrelated to each other or their workplace. The lifeless body of a third employee, aged 59, was discovered at his home on June 5, according to Swedish media. The cause of these three deaths could not be established during the forensic examination, said the police on Thursday, who do not suspect criminal acts.
The same workplace
The two previous investigations have been reopened and a third is underway. “These people worked at the same workplace” and this element will now be taken into account by the police. “One of the people could have been exposed to a substance (…). The police will look into this more closely,” she said, speaking of the most recent death. It was a “tragic coincidence,” Northvolt said. This group assures that according to its own investigations no accident took place and employees were not exposed to toxic substances.
Toyota suspends work at Skelleftea plant
As a result of these deaths, the automobile manufacturer Toyota has decided to suspend the work of its service technicians at the Skelleftea plant, in a communication to the specialist magazine Dagens Arbete. “It’s terrible that three people died after their work. It is now very important to obtain clarity on what happened,” Deputy Minister of Employment Paulina Brandberg responded to the TT news agency.
Northvolt is one of the great European hopes in terms of batteries at a time when the Old Continent is seeking to catch up with the Asian and American giants in this production which is essential to the transition of the automobile industry.
