A construction-site lift plunged several metres with two workers inside on Wednesday afternoon near Zurich’s main train station, killing one man and leaving the other in critical condition, Zurich City Police confirmed.
The accident occurred shortly before 2:30 PM at a construction site on Hafnerstrasse in Zurich’s District 5, near the intersection with Josefstrasse and close to the main railway station. Two construction workers were in a site lift attached to a scaffolded building when, for reasons that remain unclear, the lift fell several metres to the ground.
“The first officers from the City Police to arrive at the scene rescued the injured men and immediately administered first aid until the arrival of Zurich’s Protection & Rescue service,” said the Zurich Police.
An eyewitness told local media that the site had been unusually loud and appeared unstable throughout the day before the lift suddenly gave way, crashing to the ground and shattering.
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Construction Lift Falls: Emergency Response
Officers from the Zurich City Police, who arrived first at the scene, recovered the two men and administered immediate first aid until paramedics from Schutz & Rettung Zürich arrived. Despite resuscitation efforts, one of the workers died at the scene. The second man was taken to the hospital with severe injuries and remains in critical condition.
The emergency response was substantial, involving multiple police units, the professional fire brigade with a large deployment, several ambulances and an emergency physician. The affected area around the site was cordoned off.
In addition to emergency responders, the public prosecutor’s office, the Institute of Forensic Medicine, the Zurich Forensic Institute and a care team were also dispatched to the scene.
Zurich City Police said the identities of the two men involved have not yet been conclusively established. The exact cause of the accident is now under investigation by Zurich City Police together with the responsible public prosecutor’s office.
