A worker has died in Qatar in an incident at a resort used by Saudi Arabia at the World Cup, the government has said.
No date was provided for the death, only that it happened during the group stage that started on November 20 and ended on December 2.
The Sealine Beach Resort was not newly built for the tournament which has been subject to scrutiny over conditions for the low-paid migrant workforce and lack of details on deaths.
The incident was only confirmed after The Athletic reported that a Filipino man slipped off a ramp into concrete while walking alongside a forklift truck.
A Qatari government official said: “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.”
FIFA confirmed the incident but did not respond to further questions from Sky News, asking when it happened and if there had been other deaths at World Cup-linked sites during the competition.
Football’s governing body said in a statement: “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.”
