This is how the fatal fall into the construction site pit happened – 2024-09-16 12:03:57

There was an opening in the fence surrounding the construction site pit, which made it possible to fall into the pit, a relative of the dead man and an eyewitness to the events tells Helsingin Sanomat.

A man fell into a several-meter-deep construction site pit in the center of Helsinki on the night between Saturday and Sunday. The accident happened next to the Kaisaniemi Park and the Railway Station in an area where a lot of excavation work has been done throughout the summer. The excavations were related to the renovation work of the housing association next to the pit.

A relative interviewed by HS says that he was on his way to the railway station with the man. They decided to walk along the edge of the Kaisaniemi park, because it felt safer than walking through the park in the dark.

He says the man was walking ahead when he fell into the pit. Visibility was poor due to the rain and darkness.

– There was a half-meter gap in the fence and he apparently assumed that it was left for pedestrians to pass through, a relative describes the events to HS.

When Iltalehti visited the site on Sunday, fences surrounded the construction site. However, the HS reporter who visited the place noticed passers-by trying to move the fences, which are not fixed structures.

The man fell into the pit at the plastic fences visible in the background. Jani Korpela