Two of the five people who faced homicide charges in the worst fire-fighting disaster in Switzerland have received 20-month suspended sentences.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch and agencies
Seven firemen died in 2004 when a parking garage in Gretzenbach, northwestern Switzerland, collapsed on top of them as they fought to put out a fire.
The other three defendants were acquitted of the charges, the Olten-Gösgen court announced on Tuesday.
Solothurn’s public prosecutor had charged five people involved in building the garage with negligent homicide, negligent bodily injury and negligently causing the collapse. The two men who received the sentences were brothers and the property developers.
During the trial it was alleged that an “averagely trained and qualified construction expert” could have predicted the collapse.
The case had been closed after time limits expired for pursuing the matter, but the canton’s highest court reopened it after upholding portions of a complaint by relatives of the victims.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
No charges to be brought in firefighter tragedy
This content was published on
The men died when the roof of a carpark collapsed while they were dealing with a fire. The incident was the worst involving the emergency services in Swiss history. The prosecutor in canton Solothurn said on Tuesday that he would not be bringing charges against anyone in connection with the November 2004 tragedy in the…
This content was published on
President Joseph Deiss and more than 1,000 firefighters from Switzerland and neighbouring countries attended the church service in the northwestern town of Schönenwerd. The volunteer firefighters died when the concrete roof of the underground car park collapsed on top of them while they were battling a car fire that spread out of control. The memorial…
This content was published on
Rescue workers pulled the bodies from the wreckage on Saturday. The firefighters had been trapped when the ceiling collapsed. It was the worst firefighting tragedy in recent Swiss history. The volunteer firefighters were part of a group of about 11 who entered the garage at the apartment complex early on Saturday. Police officials said three…
This content was published on
On Friday, October 24, 2001, a collision between two trucks created a fire in the Gotthard tunnel, killing eleven and injuring many more, the smoke and gases produced by the fires being the main cause of death. New safety measures were implemented with the re-opening. The number of lorries travelling through the tunnel on a…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.