Six worker fatalities and 72 injuries at Expo 2020 Dubai; Report
The world’s greatest show, Expo 2020 Dubai kicked off on October 1 with a grand opening ceremony. Apart from the celebrations and shows, it has been reported that the venue witnessed worker death toll to raise up to six that include Covid linked and construction-related fatalities in the city so far.
Earlier the fatality disclosed by the state organizer was three in the construction-related workers among 200000 over the past six years and 72 serious injuries. In addition, three more were found dead due to Covid-19 contraction. Reports are yet to come whether the number of fatalities has increased for the past few days. However, the country is expecting over 25 million visits in the next six months.
“Unfortunately we had three worker-related deaths due to Covid. That was during the course of the pandemic,” Expo representative Sconaid McGeachin told media. Earlier, despite the repeated inquiries from the associated press, the expo officials had not offered any overall statistics previously on worker fatalities, injuries, or coronavirus infections.
Although the works and preparations have already been conducted in the country to open the doors for the public, there are reports that the Expo, and Qatar’s preparations for hosting the 2022 FIFA soccer World Cup, have faced international scrutiny, with rights groups criticizing conditions for low-paid migrant workers.
As per reports, the increase in the number of people gathering during the construction works during the events is one of the main reasons for the surge in the Covid cases. The blue-collar job workers in the country are paid law salaries but they are working for long hours even without considering their own health. Reuters news agency reported that limited protections were offered to the migrant workers in the UAE and other gulf regions. Taking a look at the harsh practices towards the workers, the European Union has already called the member states and suggested boycotting the expo 2020.
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However, UAE has rejected the charges imposed on them. The country is betting the six-month Expo will attract 25 million visits and the visitors entering aged 18 and over must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. There are also testing facilities on site.
