‘More than 400’ died in World Cup building work

A TOP Qatari official involved in the country’s World Cup organisation has put the number of worker deaths for the tournament “between 400 and 500” for the first time, a drastically higher number than any previously offered by Doha.

The comment by Hassan al-thawadi, secretary-general of Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, appeared to come off the cuff during an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan.

It also threatened to reinvigorate criticism by human rights groups over the cost of hosting the Middle East’s first World Cup for the migrant labourers who built the more than 200 billion dollars’ (£1.7 billion) worth of stadiums, metro lines and new infrastructure needed for the tournament.

During the interview, portions of which Morgan posted online, the journalist asks Mr al-thawadi: “What is the honest, realistic total do you think of migrant workers who died... as a result of work they’re doing for the World Cup?”

Mr al-thawadi replies: “The estimate is around 400, between 400 and 500... I don’t have the exact number. That’s something that’s been discussed.”

Reports from the Supreme Committee dating from 2014 to the end of 2021 only include the number of deaths of workers involved in building and refurbishing the stadiums now hosting the World Cup.

Those figures put the total deaths at 40, and include 37 from what the Qataris describe as nonwork incidents such as heart attacks and three from workplace incidents.

In a later statement, the Supreme Committee said Mr al-thawadi was referring to “national statistics covering the period of 2014-20 for all work-related fatalities (414) nationwide in Qatar, covering all sectors and nationalities”.