Qatar has launched a work safety investigation into the death of a Filipino, officials said on Thursday, following reports that the man died while working at a training site during the soccer World Cup.
Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers has come under enormous scrutiny during the build-up to the tournament, with human rights groups accusing the Gulf state of systematic labour abuses — charges rejected by the government.
Nasser Al Khater, chief executive of the 2022 World Cup in Doha, confirmed to Reuters that a worker had died, but gave no further details. He offered his condolences to his family and said “death is a natural part of life.”
The Philippines’ foreign ministry confirmed in a statement that one of its nationals had died while working at a resort south of the capital Doha. It said its embassy was “working with legal authorities to ascertain more details of his passing.”
