In a span of just six months, three seemingly healthy men died shortly after their shifts at Northvolt's factory in the town of Skellefteå. Another death - the fourth Northvolt worker to die - was reported on Tuesday, August 6th.
So has any explanation been put forward that sheds light on the deaths? What are Swedish police saying and what action has Northvolt taken?
The Local has put together a brief Q&A with all the information about the case that was available at the time of writing.
What is Northvolt?
Northvolt is a Swedish battery manufacturer with a factory in Skellefteå, northern Sweden.
The company specialises in producing batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage. Around 3,500 workers are employed at the site in Skellefteå.
What do we know about the deaths of the workers?
The mystery involves the unexplained deaths of several workers from Northvolt's Skellefteå factory.
Police launched an investigation earlier this summer after three apparently healthy men died at home within six months following their shifts at the factory.
In addition, a fifth person fell ill while working at the factory, according to an August 6th police statement.
In January, a 33-year-old man was found dead in his bed after working an evening shift as a cleaner at Northvolt. A month later, a 19-year-old was also found dead in bed after his shift at the factory. And in June, a 59-year-old man was found dead on his balcony.
On Tuesday August 6th, police announced a fourth person had died in July. However, Northvolt have said the fourth death was unrelated to the workplace.
"I have now received confirmation from the police that the death they are referring to (note: the fourth death) is a colleague who died after a tragic drowning accident that occurred during his free time," Matti Kataja, Northvolt's head of communications and public relations for the Nordic region, told newspaper Aftonbladet on Tuesday.
"It would be good if the police could be clear about this to avoid speculation as the information obviously creates concern and leads to further rumours."
Are there any concrete clues about what might have happened to the other three workers?
There are no concrete indications at this time. Police have not labelled any of the deaths as suspicious.
One unconfirmed theory suggested in the Swedish media is that the workers might have been exposed to some kind of substance in the workplace, but there is no evidence to support this.
The only thing the three men seem to have in common so far is that their deaths cannot be explained, and that they all happened after they had worked shifts at the flagship factory.
The police are looking at the deaths as one combined investigation rather than three separate ones, with the unit dealing with workplace environmental crimes in charge of the case.
“Finding deceased individuals in their homes doesn’t necessarily involve a crime but could be due to illness,” Johan Stabbfors, police lead investigator, told regional newspaper Norran in June.
“But with three cases in a short time linked to the workplace – that’s what has been flagged to us, but we are approaching it with an open mind and broad perspective. The most important thing is to determine what it could be. It could also just be a coincidence," he said.
But questions have been raised in the Swedish media about working conditions at the factory.
An investigation by the newspaper Dagens Nyheter (DN) revealed that hundreds of documents from Northvolt, the Work Environment Agency, and the police highlighted numerous safety risks and accidents at Northvolt's facilities in recent years. Since 2019, 26 employees have reportedly been severely injured, and many have voiced safety concerns.
Has the police investigation made any progress?
The investigation is ongoing, and, as of the time of writing, police have not found a concrete connection between the incidents.
There is no established cause for the deaths, and it remains unclear if they are linked to the workers' shifts at the Northvolt factory.
"Responses from previously requested analyses are expected to take a few more weeks. The investigation is ongoing, with tips being processed and more interviews planned," the police statement said on August 6th.
"As per procedure, the police are working with the Work Environment Agency to ensure that employers and those responsible for the work environment comply with the Work Environment Act and relevant regulations.
"We are currently waiting for analysis results and have no further information to provide at this time."
What is Northvolt doing as a result?
Northvolt has stated that it welcomes the investigation but will continue to operate according to existing routines in the absence of a confirmed link to the workplace.
"We continuously collaborate with union and safety representatives to ensure a positive work environment for our employees," Kataja said in late June.
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