Swedish police announced on Thursday that they would investigate a possible link between three deaths of people who were employed at the first site of electric battery manufacturer Northvolt in northern Sweden.
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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 shortly after the end of his 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 two previous investigations have been reopened and a third is underway. Police add that they will examine whether there is “a possible link” between the three deaths.
“These people worked at the same workplace” and this element will now be taken into account by the police. “One of the people may have been exposed to a substance (…). The police will look into this more closely,” she said, speaking of the most recent death.
This is a “tragic coincidence,” Northvolt told AFP. This group assures that according to its own investigations no accident took place and employees were not exposed to toxic substances.
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.
