A 40-year-old British man has died while working on a Qatar 2022 World Cup stadium site, tournament organisers in the Gulf emirate have announced.

The Briton was working on the Khalifa International Stadium, which will also be the venue for the World Athletics Championships in 2019.

He has not yet been named.

“Earlier today (Thursday), a 40-year-old British male lost his life working on Khalifa International Stadium,” the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the body overseeing the organisation for the World Cup in Qatar, said in a statement.

The dead man’s family have been informed and an investigation launched, said the Supreme Committee.

No cause of death has yet been announced.

“The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy shares our deepest condolences with the family for their loss,” added the statement.

It said more details would be released and a further statement is expected later on Friday.

Renovation work on Khalifa is set to be completed later this year, making it the first stadium to be ready for the World Cup in five years’ time.

The stadium is being increased in size from a current capacity of 40,000 to more than 68,000 and will be used up to the quarter-final stage in 2022.

The death is the latest tragedy to hit the controversial World Cup.

Last October, a Nepalese labourer, Anil Kumar Pasman, died after being hit by a lorry while working at another Qatar World Cup stadium, Al-Wakrah.

There are thought to be around 20,000 Britons living in Qatar. – Agence France-Presse

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