Workers lose belongings and travel documents in camp fire
Some 438 workers lost their passports, cash and other personal belongings in a fire that destroyed a labour camp in the Shahaniya area yesterday.
According to witnesses, the blaze started at 1pm and lasted nearly three hours before it was put out by firefighters.
The affected workers, believed to be mostly Indians, Filipinos and Nepalese, are employed by a contracting company.
Philippine labour attache Leopoldo De Jesus, who later met the 70-odd Filipino workers affected by the fire, said that no casualties or injuries were reported as labourers who lived in the camp were working at the time of the incident. The local authorities were investigating the cause of the fire, he added.
De Jesus said that all the workers had been transferred to another camp in the same area. He noted that the employer was co-operating with embassy officials and the Qatari authorities on how to further extend help to the workers.
"All the workers have lost their clothes, travel documents and even some savings. We are urging the Filipino community and individuals to help our compatriots," said De Jesus.
He will meet Philippine ambassador Wilfredo Santos to discuss ways of extending assistance to the affected workers.
Other expatriate communities, too, have urged their members through social media to donate clothes, bags, blankets and toiletries. [Gulf Times]
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That's a good idea. If the government could bring financial (and other) pressures to bear, the companies who flout requirements would soon find themselves shut down (Hopefully).
I believe in such incidents , a government agency should take the appropriate actions and then recover the money from the company.
This will ensure that companies carry the relevant insurance to cover such accidents
You and I both know that that is probably not going to happen Brit
Well said Mary Catherine. However as a first step these people need to be rehoused and compensated by the company for their losses .
But surely the camp management/employer have insurance and will be proactive in providing compensation and assistance in ensuring those adversely affected will be housed, clothed and cared for in a proper manner? Of course, the camp met all municipal safety and labour codes (including building codes) and was inspected regularly? The article does not address these important points, will there be an update?