Zac Cox death: Inquiry into Qatar 2022 World Cup stadium fall

  • 3865

The Qatari organisation in charge of staging the 2022 World Cup has agreed to hold an independent inquiry into the death of a British worker who fell in a 2022 World Cup stadium in Doha.

Zac Cox died in January 2017 after falling 130ft from a gantry that collapsed. He sustained brain injuries and a broken neck, Brighton and Hove Coroner's Court heard last year.

Cox's family welcomed the investigation which will be carried out by a British judge. Cox, 40, was a specialist in construction work on tall buildings.

He fell from a suspended platform he was helping to install at the Khalifa International Stadium, after lever hoist equibment failed.

At the inquest, coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley blamed substandard equipment and chaotic working conditions.

Former High Court judge Sir Robert Akenhead will look into the decisions that led to Cox's death.

Qatar's World Cup committee said the health and safety of its workers remained its utmost priority. In February 2018 a British coroner sharply criticised safety measures at the stadium site. She said equipment provided to Cox was not fit for purpose.

In a statement on behalf of the family, Cox's sisters-in-law Ella Joseph and Hazel Mayes said: "Following the UK Coroner's inquest into Zac's death... our family called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death".

They added: "We welcome Sir Robert Akenhead's appointment and the commencement of the investigation.

Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers mainly from south-east Asia has been a source of criticism ever since the small but hugely wealthy nation won the right to stage the World Cup in December 2010.

Read More
Qatar's Defense Minister promotes lies of military superiority

Qatar's Defense Minister promotes lies of military superiority

The Qatari Minister of Defense explained that his country is seeking to achieve self-sufficiency in all fields, and he still promotes Tamim's illusions, while neglecting the economic problems.

Tunisian politicians: Marzouki seeks to serve Qatar's malicious agendas

Tunisian politicians: Marzouki seeks to serve Qatar's malicious agendas

After taking office as interim president of Tunisia, Moncef Marzouki took a hostile stance against Algeria in pursuance to implement Qatar-Turkey plots, and also aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood.