Qatar orders inquiry after rain exposes construction flaws

BBC News

Qatar's prime minister has ordered an inquiry after heavy rain exposed poor construction in the country set to host the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

The official Qatar News Agency said five firms were under investigation and "parties responsible for dereliction or negligence" would be held accountable.

The oil-rich state was hit by more than a year's worth of rain in a few hours.

Doha's Hamad International Airport, which cost $17bn (£11bn), saw water pour through a section of its roof.

Many of the capital's streets were flooded, and schools and shops had to close.

The bad weather also affected neighbouring Saudi Arabia. One person was reportedly killed by flooding in Rimah, north-east of Riyadh, a week after at least eight were killed in Medina and Jeddah.

Building boom

Almost 80mm (3.15 in) of rain fell in the area around Hamad International Airport between midday on Tuesday to noon on Wednesday, according to the Qatar Meteorology Department.

Social media users posted videos of water pouring through sections of roof at the passenger terminal, which opened in April 2014, six years behind schedule.

The airport said flights operated normally throughout Wednesday.

Image copyrightAFP

Image captionMany of Doha's streets were flooded, causing congestion and forcing shops to close

The Doha News website reported that water also seeped into the Sheraton Hoteland that a section of ceiling collapsed inside the Ezdan Mall.

Late on Wednesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani ordered that all government bodies and private companies involved in the construction of buildings where flaws had been revealed by the rain would be referred to an investigation and then to the public prosecution, QNA said.

Qatar is under pressure to complete more than $200bn of infrastructure projects, including a $35bn metro system, a $7bn port and new motorways, before the World Cup, which will take place in November and December 2022.

It has decided to reduce the number of stadiums it will build for the tournament from 12 to eight amid escalating costs.

Human rights groups complain that migrant workers building the infrastructure continue to experience serious abuses, including forced labour and trafficking.