5 Workers Killed, 72 Injured While Building Dubai Expo Site

Five workers died and 72 have suffered serious injuries while building Dubai's Expo 2020 site, officials revealed the statistics on Saturday.

"Unfortunately, there have been five work-related fatalities, 72 serious injuries to date," an Expo statement said, calling the welfare of labourers its "top priority".

It said 247 million work hours had been completed at the site, adding that the frequency of accidents was lower than Britain's.

"We have established world-class policies, standards and processes that protect and support the health, safety, and wellbeing of everyone involved in Expo 2020 Dubai," the statement said.

More than 200,000 workers constructed the huge site on the outskirts of Dubai, which features hundreds of pavilions and other facilities on a showground twice the size of Monaco.

As per reports, the figures were revealed after the European parliament called for a boycott of the six-month world fair, criticising the United Arab Emirates' human rights record and "inhumane" practises towards immigrant labourers.