Worker buried alive in sand collapse in UAQ

UMM AL QUWAIN // A Pakistani man has died after the sandpit in which he was working collapsed around him at an excavation site in Umm Al Quwain.

Three other men who were working at the site were rescued as sand filled the hole. The accident happened on Saturday at 1pm near Emirates Road.

Police received a call about the accident and immediately rushed to the scene with ambulances and rescue crews.

"The accident occurred during the drilling process," said Lt Col Khamis Saleem Buharoon, the director of the police operations department.

"The four workers were returning to the sandpit after installing electric cables when their cluster collapsed and they got buried in the sand. Police are investigating with the company because it had neglected some safety procedures like pouring water on the desert sand to prevent it from moving."

Lt Col Buharoon urged all excavation companies to follow safety procedures and not risk people's lives.