Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Seeb mishap: Workers believed to be Indians

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MUSCAT: Indian Embassy on Tuesday said the six workers who got killed on Sunday while working on a pipeline project at Seeb following heavy rains in the area are believed to be Indians. The embassy said they are in close contact with Omani authorities to confirm the identity of victims.


"The Embassy is in close contact with the Omani authorities to ascertain the full facts of the incident and confirm the identity of the victims. We express our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and stand ready to extend all possible support," the embassy said in a statement on Tuesday.


SAFETY MEASURES


“We are facing more cyclones now than before and this has to be taken into account seriously. There has to be detailed audit of the safety standards at such worksites,” he said. “An independent inquiry must be ordered and the safety measures at such projects must be reviewed. It is a matter of people’s lives and cannot be ignored easily,” said a social media post. “Those responsible for this project should be held accountable, from the highest official to the junior level. The occupational safety officer of this project should be questioned,” said another post. Oman’s occupational safety regulations state that the employer or his representative shall take necessary measures to provide sufficient protection to workers during their presence at worksites.


Six expatriate workers were found dead in a water pipeline at Airport Heights in Seeb on Monday. According to the Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA), bodies of six expatriate workers were recovered from the construction site of a major water pipeline extension project. Large pumps were used to pump out water from the 295-metre-long concrete pipe (14 metres below the surface) and rescued the workers trapped inside following heavy rains on Sunday. “The rescue operations took nearly 12 hours,” said PACDA.


PACDA urged companies operating at such projects to comply with safety rules and protect workers from any risks. The General Federation of Oman Trade Unions said that it has been following the incident in which workers from the private sector were killed. The union expressed its deep sorrow over the incident and called on all competent authorities to clarify the circumstances that led to the incident so that necessary legal steps could be initiated. Saud al Salmi of the oil and gas workers’ union told the Observer that it is time for Oman’s occupational safety laws to consider climate changes that cause accidents.


 


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