An engineer died this Thursday, May 2, at the works of the Lyon-Turin base tunnel, in Saint-Julien-Montdenis (Savoy), the TELT company, responsible for the construction of this railway tunnel under the Alps, announced on Friday.

This is the third death related to the work since July 2023. That day, a 51-year-old worker lost his life at a rail-laying job in the Parquet industrial area, in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. A few months later, in November, a 31-year-old technician also lost his life in Maurienne after manipulating a concrete press.

Commissioning in 2032

These tragic incidents raise serious questions about the safety measures implemented at the site, as well as the working conditions of employees. An investigation has been opened to determine the exact causes of this accident, and ensure the safety of workers at this international site.

The 57.5 km long cross-border tunnel, a key element of the new future Lyon-Turin line, is to connect southeastern France and northern Italy. This project, scheduled to launch in 2032, has generated strong reactions since its inception.

Thus, since the winter of 2018-2019, several large demonstrations have successively brought together tens of thousands of supporters and opponents of the project in Turin.

Maria Geraldo

Photo of one: AdobeStock