World Cup hit by new stadium death

A worker has been killed after being electrocuted at a World Cup stadium in Cuiabá, Brazil, officials say

9 May 2014, 9:06am

2 min read

An aerial view of the Arena Pantanal soccer stadium in Cuiaba

Brazil's last-minute rush to complete stadiums for the World Cup claimed another life on Thursday when a worker was electrocuted at the Arena Pantanal.

Muhammad'Ali Maciel Afonso was the eighth worker to die during construction of the 12 venues, several of which are still unfinished with barely a month to go before the tournament kicks off.

Jerome Valcke, secretary general of football's world governing body FIFA, said on Twitter: "Saddened by the death of worker Muhammad'Ali Maciel Afonso at Arena Pantanal today. My thoughts are with his family and colleagues."

Deadly accidents have become more frequent as the pressure to complete the job intensifies. Since November workers have been killed at the rate of roughly one a month.

The appalling safety record highlights the weaknesses of Brazil's preparations in comparison with previous hosts. Ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa two workers died on stadium construction projects. Valcke said his organisation had “been through hell” during the run-up to the football tournament in Brazil.

The loss of life also underscores the high price that Brazil is paying for stadiums that look likely to become white elephants once the tournament is over. The £200m Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba is chief among them as the average crowds of the city's two clubs – Mixto and Operario – would barely fill a twentieth of the 43,000 seats.

Many other World Cup related projects have also been snarled up by delays, some of which will mean airline passengers wait for their flights under temporary canvas.

Preparations have also been hit by cost overruns, protests, favela conflicts, strikes and fan violence. Last week a supporter was killed in Recife by a toilet bowl thrown from the upper tier of a stadium.

Labour laws have come under international scrutiny in the World Cup 2022 host country, Qatar, where migrants workers die at the rate of one a day under harsh work conditions and an exit visa system that prevents them leaving Qatar without an employer's consent.