Security guard John Njau Kibue loses life in Lusail Stadium fall

The organisers of the Qatar World Cup have announced that a security guard has died after suffering a serious fall at Lusail Stadium following the quarter-final clash between Argentina and the Netherlands.

CNN have confirmed that John Njua Kibue, a 24-year-old Kenyan, had been on duty for the match and fell from the eighth floor of the stadium, suffering “a severe head injury, facial fractures and pelvic fractures.” The fixture took place on Saturday 10 December, with Kibue tragically losing his life three days later (Tuesday 13 December) in the intensive care Unit at hamad General Hospital in Doha.

Following the incident, the tournament organisers - the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy – have said that they were “investigating the circumstances leading to the fall as a matter of urgency and will provide further information pending the outcome of the investigation. We will also ensure that his family receive all outstanding dues and monies owed.”

The statement announcing the sad news also read: “On Saturday, 10 December, John Njau Kibue, a security guard at Lusail Stadium, suffered a serious fall while on duty. Stadium medical teams immediately attended the scene and provided emergency treatment before he was transferred to Hamad Medical Hospital’s intensive care unit via ambulance.

“We regret to announce that, despite the efforts of the medical team, he sadly passed away in hospital on Tuesday 13 December, after being in the intensive care unit for three days. His next of kin have been informed. We send our sincere condolences to his family, colleagues and friends during this difficult time.”

Kibue’s family still waiting for an explanation

Speaking to CNN, Kibue’s family have said that the security guard’s employer, Al Sraiya Security Services, have failed to give them any explanation as to how he had fallen or shared any details about the incident: “We want justice. We want to know what caused his death. They have never sent us a picture to show where he fell from or given us any other information”.

How many migrant workers have died on World Cup-related projects?

Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, claimed at the end of last month, just days after that 2022 World Cup had begun, that “between 400 and 500″ migrant workers had died while working on World-Cup-related projects. He stressed that only 40 of those deaths were of workers participating in the construction of World Cup stadiums and that only three of those 40 had been work-related deaths, with the remaining deaths of workers who had been involved in the construction of roads, hotels and other kinds of infrastructure.

An investigation carried out by British newspaper The Guardian concluded that 6500 migrant workers had died during the World Cup preparations in Qatar, while Amnesty International claim the figure is as high as 15,021.

FIFA’s decision to award the world’s biggest and most prestigious sporting event to the Gulf state has been fiercely criticised ever since it was made in 2010. Along with the mistreatment of migrant workers, the nation’s human rights record, suppression of dissent and persecution of LGBTQ people are among a number of issues that have been highlighted by protestors against Qatar’s suitability as World Cup host.