Vejdirektoratet admits error after man falls through staircase in Copenhagen

A man fell approximately five meters through a staircase at Dybbølsbro Station in Copenhagen on Wednesday night. The staircase connects the Copenhagen long-distance bus terminal on Carsten Niebuhrs Gade to Dybbølsbro.

Vejdirektoratet, the Danish Road Directorate, has acknowledged that the staircase should have been closed following the incident. The agency described the failure to identify the risk as a ‘very regrettable misjudgment’ and noted that their inspection processes failed to detect the ongoing danger of loose steps.

This is not the first structural issue with this specific staircase, which was built in September 2023. Previous incidents occurred in the summer of 2024 and May 2025 when steps fell. Investigations revealed that previous repairs involved tiles with casting defects, and vibrations had caused bolts to loosen. Vejdirektoratet is currently investigating the cause of the collapse and working on a solution to ensure the stairs can be used safely again.