Workers trapped by Dubai tower fire

scorza · 18 Jan 2007 at 13:11

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6274981.stm

Poor guys, they have no rights at all and I've long suspected that health n safety policy is non-existent over there. I hope they make it but I'm not holding my breath.

Shifter_Hull · 18 Jan 2007 at 13:58

Poor Guys indeed

Premier · 18 Jan 2007 at 14:10

Thats horrible, cant imagine what it would like to be trapped in there.

I hope they manage to get them out somehow.

McDaniel · 18 Jan 2007 at 14:14

eek someone fell aswell

Horrible

jas72 · 18 Jan 2007 at 15:50

Watched a documentary about that how Dubai is being built on slave labour with the workers passports and other documents are being held as ransom until the workers pay off their air fares.

Basically touts search the indian sub continent looking for workers and then give them a free flight to dubai. Apon landing their documents are confiscated and they are forced to work for a pittance and their accomdation is out of dubai in squalid refugee camps with iron roofs. They cannot return to India as they don't have the means and have to pay their corrupt bosses high accomodation fees and repay their initial flight making it impossible to send any money home which was their reason for moving to Dubai in the first place.

The programme alleged that this was known by virtually everyone working over there including the saudi government but nothing is being done about it.

One of my many reasons for not wanting to visit the place.

ImposeR · 18 Jan 2007 at 15:59

jas72 said:
The programme alleged that this was known by virtually everyone working over there including the saudi government but nothing is being done about it.

I think its the dubai govn. your looking for (each emirates got its own i think)

scorza · 18 Jan 2007 at 17:05

At least 2 have died now

see original link.

Dubai has nothing to do with Saudi, but I bet conditions are the same there.

Al Vallario · 18 Jan 2007 at 17:07

scorza said:
At least 24 have died now see original link.

Dubai has nothing to do with Saudi, but I bet conditions are the same there.

The original link still states "At least two workers have died and dozens were injured [...]"

scorza · 18 Jan 2007 at 17:10

Al Vallario said:
The original link still states "At least two workers have died and dozens were injured [...]"

My bad. For some reason I misread that as two dozen :rolleyes:

@if ®afiq · 18 Jan 2007 at 17:14

jas72 said:
Watched a documentary about that how Dubai is being built on slave labour with the workers passports and other documents are being held as ransom until the workers pay off their air fares.

Slavery is quite common in the rich Gulf states

miracleboy · 18 Jan 2007 at 17:15

It makes you wonder when you see all these massive man made islands and 7 star hotels springing up, you have to believe that someone somewhere is being exploited.

Al Vallario · 18 Jan 2007 at 17:27

The BBC link doesn't mention this, so I thought I'd point out that this is the Fortune Tower in the Dubai Marina development, a 35-floor office tower being developed by Fortune Investment LLC.

There are a bundle of construction photos on the official website.