The Chief's Response to the Qatar 2022 World Cup on Migrant Worker Deaths: That's Natural from Life

JAKARTA - Qatar's 2022 World Cup Chief Executive, Nasser Al Khater, gave his response to reports of the death of a migrant worker on the sidelines of the tournament. Al Khater said death is a natural part of life.

He even wondered why BBC journalists were asking him questions about the incident.

"We are in the midst of a World Cup and had a successful World Cup, and this is something you want to talk about now?" he said quoted from Live Score.

"I mean, death is a natural part of life, whether it's at work or while sleeping. Of course, a worker dies. Our condolences go out to his family. But this is strange, it's something you want to focus on as your first question," he said. add.

The death was first reported by The Athletic on Wednesday. The 40-year-old Filipino worker died while on duty at the Saudi Arabia headquarters in the group stage of this event every four years.

According to the report, the incident is being investigated by the Qatari government. International football governing body FIFA has also confirmed the worker's death and is working to investigate the cause.

The worker reportedly died because he did not use a safety rope while carrying out his duties. His company could face lawsuits if proven negligent.

"We've outlined what we're doing in Qatar. We're talking about things we've discussed for months, many times," Khater said.

The number of migrant worker deaths related to the Qatar 2022 World Cup is currently still being debated. Some reports put the death toll in the thousands, but the Qatari government continues to deny this.

Secretary General of Qatar's Supreme Committee for Manifestation and Inheritance Hassan al-Thawadi last week said the death toll of workers ranged from 400 to 500 people.

This is the first time that a Qatari official involved in organizing the World Cup has given a death toll. The number is much higher than previously estimated.