Brother calls for investigation into fissure incident in Grindavík, Iceland

The brother of a man who fell into a fissure in Grindavík earlier this year is calling for a comprehensive investigation into the incident, following a new report from the Icelandic Working Environment Authority. The report highlights the lack of a risk assessment, raising questions about whether the project was worth the associated dangers.

Elías Pétursson, the brother of the deceased, Lúðvík Pétursson, stated that the family hopes for an independent thorough investigation to learn from the event and mitigate future risks. Lúðvík fell into the fissure on January 10.

While Elías acknowledged the report, he noted that it mainly concerns the engineering firm Eflu and the contractors involved, failing to address the roles of civil protection, the police, or the National Natural Disaster Insurance of Iceland. Consequently, Elías is urging the Icelandic Parliament or the Minister of Justice to initiate a broader examination of all aspects related to the case.

The report from the Working Environment Authority concluded that a sufficient risk assessment was not in place during the fissure filling efforts in Grindavík, with contractors describing the project management as chaotic, having to shift between tasks at the requests of various parties, including municipal representatives.

Elías expressed that the disorganization regarding the project was not surprising, stating those responsible for establishing operational guidelines appeared to have fallen short. He finds the report’s conclusions particularly noteworthy, as they suggest doubts about the necessity and safety of proceeding with the project under the existing conditions.