A migrant worker has tragically died during the World Cup in Qatar while performing repairs on Saudi Arabia’s training base.
The current tournament has been met with severe criticism for the amount of migrant workers who have died in the building of stadiums during preparations. The Guardian have suggested that around 6,500 workers have passed away in Qatar during the build-up to the tournament - a theme that appears to have continued during the tournament itself.
According to a report from The Athletic, a Filipino man thought to be called Alex, was involved in a forklift accident at the five-star Sealine Beach Resort where Saudi Arabia had set up base during the group stages.
It is suggested that the worker, who was rumoured to be in his early 40s, slipped off of a ramp while walking alongside the forklift and fell head-first against concrete. A medical helicopter was called in order to give him treatment but the victim unfortunately died on site.
The incident is now apparently being investigated by the Qatari authorities to establish exactly what happened. According to staff, as per The Athletic's report, the victim was visiting the base on behalf of Qatari company Salam Petroleum to fix lights in a car park.
As reported by Sky, a Qatari government official said: "If the investigation concludes that safety protocols were not followed, the company will be subject to legal action and severe financial penalties.
"Compensation is paid through the Workers' Support and Insurance Fund when a worker has been injured or passed away due to a work-related incident, or when an employer is unable to pay salaries."
Football's governing body said in a statement: "FIFA is deeply saddened by this tragedy and our thoughts and sympathies are with the worker's family.
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"As soon as FIFA was made aware of the accident, we contacted the local authorities to request more details. FIFA will be in a position to comment further once the relevant processes in relation to the worker's passing have been completed."
The fate of the victim apparently became speculation among staff working at the Sealine Beach resort because they were not officially informed. Some assumed that the medical helicopter was an important dignitary or VIP.
The Supreme Committee have confirmed that the incident occurred on a public road in the complex itself and is as a result being investigated by the government as opposed to themselves. The latest incident is likely to do nothing about the criticism of the World Cup itself regarding the vast amounts of migrant deaths.
