Odisha migrant worker dies in Qatar; family seeks govt support to bring body back

Berhampur (Odisha), Mar 9 (PTI) Family members of a migrant worker from Odisha, who died in his workplace in Qatar, appealed to the government to bring his body back to his village in Ganjam district.

The Arab country has been affected by the West Asia conflict.

An officer of Ganjam district said on Monday that a preliminary inquiry into his death was conducted following the request of the family, and a decision will be taken after examining the probe report.

The deceased was identified as Kuna Khuntia (25), a native of Naikanipalli in Khallikote block. The sole earning member of the family was working as a labourer in a private construction company in Doha for the last five months.

After returning from his duty on Friday night, he went to sleep and did not wake up, said a family member. His messmates took him to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead, one of his friends told his family members, said Jaya Khuntia, father of the deceased.

“We don’t know how he died. We requested the government to bring his body to the village to perform his last rites,” he said.

The cause of the death would be known only after getting the medical report, Khuntia said.

“He had been in constant touch with us following the conflict in West Asia. We did not expect such news all of a sudden,” said Runu, mother of the deceased.

The family had plans to marry him off after his return to the village this year. He was the sole bread-earner of his poor family, they said.

“We have requested the tahasildar, Khallikote, to make arrangements to bring his body to the village from Qatar," said Mithun Khuntia, local sarapanch.

District Labour Officer Barsarani Jena said they have conducted a preliminary inquiry on Monday about his death.

“We have also recorded the statements of his family members. We will submit the inquiry report to the state’s labour commissioner soon through the district collector to take further steps,” Jena said.

Around 30 people in the village were working in the war-affected Gulf region, including Qatar, as labourers. PTI COR BBM BBM NN