FIFA respond to death of migrant worker during World Cup

FIFA have released a statement in response to the death of a migrant worker at Saudi Arabia’s training camp in Qatar.

The Athletic reported on Wednesday that a Filipino worker fell to his death at the resort the Saudi Arabia team was staying at while carrying out repairs.

It is the latest of migrant worker death in Qatar related to the World Cup, with the number externally reported to be well into the thousands, although the nation’s authorities deny that and the official figure prior to the tournament for deaths directly the result of working conditions was just three.

FIFA have now responded to the latest of them, with the governing body saying it’s “deeply saddened” but will await the outcome of an investigation into the matter.

“Fifa is deeply saddened by this tragedy and our thoughts and sympathies are with the worker’s family,” it said. “Fifa will be in a position to comment further once the relevant processes in relation to the worker’s passing have been completed.”

According to The Athletic’s report, the worker who lost his life was not wearing a safety harness while carrying out the repairs and was only accompanied by one other worker rather than two, with the latter usually being the case for such a job.

It’s unclear whether these were the decisions of the worker of himself or of the Qatari company he worked for, Salam Petroleum, who have yet to comment on the incident.

The Qatar government are now investigating the death and an official has stated that the company will be subject to legal action and severe financial penalties if it is discovered that safety protocols were not followed.