Múlagöng tunnel explosion: Two men sentenced for property damage

Two men have been sentenced by the District Court of Northeast Iceland for causing massive property damage during an explosion in the Múlagöng tunnel on March 18, 2021. One individual received a six-month prison sentence, while the other received five months; both sentences are suspended for two years.

The explosion was caused by a device constructed from gunpowder and fireworks placed inside a pressure vessel. The court noted the immense destructive force of the blast, stating that under different circumstances, the impact could have caused significant damage hundreds of meters away. The incident resulted in a hole forming near the technical space, damage to flooring and equipment, and a power outage in the tunnel lasting eight to nine hours. The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration (Vegagerðin) reported damages totaling 3,108,682 ISK.