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Lankan workers evacuated from Doha camp after major fire
View(s):Hundreds of Sri Lankan migrant workers were yesterday being evacuated from an industrial area close to Qatar’s capital, Doha, after a major fire broke out shortly before dusk on Friday, a senior official said yesterday. The Lankans numbering between 300 and 350 are part of a larger multinational workforce of a chemical company, and the fire had reportedly engulfed their residential sector, Foreign Affairs spokesman Sathya Rodrigo told the Sunday Times.
“We have not heard of any casualties among the Sri Lankan workers, with officials from the Lankan mission in Doha present at the scene to provide necessary assistance,” Mr Rodrigo said. He said the fire centred around the single status living quarters of the workers suggesting that all the Sri Lankans were males.
“Apart from Sri Lankans, the sprawling complex also houses migrant workers from Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Pakistan,” he added.
He added that every effort was being made to provide alternative accommodation for the affected Lankan workers and towards this end embassy officials were working closely with the employer. The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) was also closely monitoring the developments at the Doha camp site, and has already dispatched one senior official to the area to coordinate welfare efforts with Sri Lanka embassy officials.
“We have had no reports of casualties but nothing can be confirmed as we await further reports from the Lankan mission there,” SLBFE Additional General Manager Mangala Randeniya told the Sunday Times. He too, could not give an exact figure of the Lankans employed in the area, adding that there also could be many females, although this could not be confirmed.
He added that, if the situation demands, steps will be taken to repatriate any worker wanting to return to the country. “We expect to get a clearer picture of the ground situation some time today.” Mr. Randeniya said.