Investigation into Varkaus service station roof collapse continues, safety agency declines probe

Finland’s Safety Investigation Authority (Otkes) will not investigate the collapse of the indoor roof at the Warkaudenportti service station in Varkaus, according to the agency’s communications chief Tiina Bieber.

The roof of the Neste Huili service station collapsed early Tuesday morning. The station had not yet opened to customers, and no injuries were reported. The cause remains unknown.

Otkes assesses each case individually to determine whether its involvement would yield significant new safety information. The agency has already investigated multiple indoor roof collapses since the 2000s, most recently in 2010, when a school gymnasium storage roof in Järvenpää and a shop roof in Kittilä’s Levi collapsed. A common cause in these cases was the failure of nail joints between the lower chord and the indoor roof structure, often exacerbated by suspended fixtures such as lighting or ventilation equipment increasing the load.

A 2010 report noted that hundreds of similar roof structures exist in public buildings and thousands in private homes, posing potential risks if improperly loaded. Otkes recommended that suspended fixtures and their supports in such structures always be designed with personal safety in mind.

Restel, the tenant operating the service station, is investigating the cause. The company’s business director, Tarja Kuittinen, said experts from Restel and the property owner are on site. The premises underwent a surface renovation last year before becoming a Neste Huili station. Authorities are examining whether changes made during the renovation affected the roof’s structural integrity.

The service station remains closed, though fuel distribution continues.