Migrant worker died in accident at World Cup base during group stage

A migrant worker died during the World Cup while performing repairs at the resort used as a FIFA training base for the Saudi Arabia squad during the group stage of the competition.

The five-star Sealine Beach resort, which has been open for more than 25 years, is home to 58 luxurious villas, as well as a full-size training field, a beach bar, a mini-golf course and several restaurants. For this weekend, a room for one at the resort would cost 1,180 Qatari Riyals (£265; $324) per night.

During the group stage, before Saudi Arabia exited the competition, access to its facilities required FIFA accreditation, highlighting that these premises were under the jurisdiction of FIFA — football’s world governing body.

However, since the tournament began, it has also been the home of a tragic accident that cost the life of a migrant worker and is being investigated by the Qatari government.

The Athletic has been told by multiple sources, who cannot be identified to protect their jobs and safety, that a Filipino man, estimated to be in his early forties, died on the premises during the tournament. People working on the site said his name was Alex.

Alex was involved in a forklift truck accident in which he slipped off a ramp while walking alongside the vehicle and fell headfirst against concrete.

A medical helicopter flew to the incident but the worker could not be saved.

He was, according to staff on site who remain anonymous to protect their jobs, visiting the resort in his role working for the Qatari company Salam Petroleum and his task was to fix the lights in a car park.

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, which has organised the World Cup in Qatar, says the incident happened on a public road within the resort, adjacent to the training area. As such, the matter is being investigated by the government rather than the Supreme Committee itself.

Multiple sources at the site, who cannot be identified to protect their jobs, claim the worker had not been wearing a safety harness at the time of the incident. It is not known whether one was provided by the company.

The sources also said they were surprised that the victim and the driver of the forklift were not accompanied by a third worker, who would ordinarily assist in the process.

Salam Petroleum has been contacted for comment.

The Supreme Committee has previously said its commitment to the “health, safety and dignity of all workers employed on our projects has remained steadfast and unwavering”.

FIFA has previously said that occupational health and safety measures on site are an important priority.

The incident and fate of the man became the source of speculation among staff at the complex because they were not officially informed of his passing.

Indeed, some said that when they first heard the helicopter arriving, they presumed it must be an important dignitary or politician or one of the VVIPS that have been a feature of this tournament in Qatar. This is partially because the general security of the team’s site was taken over by local police and the Saudis during their stay at the complex, which made it difficult to access clear information.

Some of those spoken to at the site appeared surprised The Athletic had learned about the incident, because it had not been publicly communicated.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino — who said in a statement sent to all media on Wednesday that the opening matches of the 2022 tournament had been “the best group stage of a FIFA World Cup ever” — told the European Parliament this year that only three migrant workers died in the building of the eight World Cup stadiums in Qatar, based on numbers supplied by the host nation.

Yet Nicholas McGeehan of human-rights organisation FairSquare previously called that figure a “wilful attempt to mislead” as the stadiums only account for about one per cent of World Cup-related construction in Qatar.

Human Rights Watch has said the correct number will never be known because “Qatari authorities have failed to investigate the causes of deaths of thousands of migrant workers, many of which are attributed to ‘natural causes’.”

Nepal’s labour ministry alone says 2,100 of its citizens have died in Qatar of all causes since 2010 — the year this World Cup was initially awarded to the country.

The Qatari official responsible for delivery of the World Cup last week caused further confusion when he said the number of migrant workers who have died on World Cup-related projects is “between 400 and 500”.

Hassan Al-Thawadi, the secretary general of the Supreme Committee, said a specific figure for the number of fatalities was still “being discussed”.

“The estimate is around 400,” Al-Thawadi told TV news show Piers Morgan Uncensored. “Between 400 and 500. I don’t have the precise number, that is something that is being discussed.

“One death is too many, it’s as simple as that. (But) every year the health and safety standards on the sites are improving, at least on our sites, the World Cup sites, the ones we are responsible for. Most definitely to the extent that you have trade unions (commending) the work that has been done on World Cup sites and the improvement.”

World Cup boss Hassan Al-Thawadi tells Piers Morgan 400-500 migrant workers have died as a result of work done on projects connected to the tournament.

“Yes, improvements have to happen.”@piersmorgan | @TalkTV | #PMUQatar pic.twitter.com/Cf9bgKCFZe

— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) November 28, 2022

A Supreme Committee spokesperson said Al-Thawadi told Morgan’s programme there were three work-related and 37 non-work related deaths on its projects — the stadiums, 17 non-competition venues and other related sites — adding that separate quotes referred to national statistics for all work-related fatalities in Qatar from 2014 to 2020, of which there were 414.

A coalition of human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, has previously called for compensation to be given to the families of migrant workers injured or killed during the construction of infrastructure for this World Cup. The English Football Association and its German equivalent, as well as World Cup sponsors AB Inbev/Budweiser, Adidas, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s, have stated their support for remediation programs.

Earlier this year, the English FA’s chief executive Mark Bullingham said: “We continue to push for the principle of compensation for the families of migrant workers who have lost their lives or have been injured in construction projects.”

FIFA, the Supreme Committee and Salam Petroleum were all asked if they would consider compensation for the family of the worker who died at the training base.

A Qatari government official said: “The incident is being investigated by the Qatari authorities. 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. More than $350million has been paid out through the fund this year. The rate of work-related accidents has consistently declined in Qatar since strict health and safety standards were introduced and enforcement has been stepped up through regular on-site inspections.”

The Supreme Committee (SC) added: “Due to the incident referred to having taken place on property not under the jurisdiction of the SC, and the deceased working as a contractor not under the remit of the SC, this matter is being handled by the relevant government authorities. The SC is following up with the same relevant authorities to ensure we are updated with developments pertaining to the investigation on a regular basis and has established contact with the family of the deceased to ensure relevant information is conveyed.”

The Qatari government was also asked about Salam Petroleum’s involvement but did not comment.

FIFA said: “FIFA is deeply saddened by this tragedy and our thoughts and sympathies are with the worker’s family. 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 Sealine Resort has also been approached for comment.

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