Three workers die, several injured at Qatar construction site

Three workers have died and a number have been injured following an incident at a Qatari Armed Forces construction site, according to a rare disclosure posted on Tuesday.

The country’s Ministry of Defense expressed its sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery, according to Qatar News Agency (QNA).

It did not state the location of the incident or how many were injured.

Since winning the right to hold the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar has repeatedly attracted scrutiny for the treatment of migrant workers tasked with building its infrastructure projects.

An investigation funded by the country’s world cup organising body revealed in April that many workers were paying recruitment fees to get jobs, while some worked nearly five months without a day of rest.

Read: Qatar World Cup workers face tough conditions, work 18-hour days – report

Qatar is also facing the prospect of an enquiry from the United Nations after complaints prompted the International Labour Organisation to give the country until November to prove it was doing enough to protect labourers.

Despite this, worker deaths are rare, with 35 recorded last year by the UN.

The World Cup organisers have also announced two construction worker deaths in recent months.

“The ministry stressed its commitment to abide by the highest safety standards in all facilities,” according to QNA.