Hyderabad: The death of 12 Indians in a massive industrial blast in Qatar last month has put the spotlight on a grim trend: nearly three Indian workers lose their lives every week in workplace accidents across the Gulf.Data presented by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reveals that over 800 Indians died in workplace accidents between 2023 and 2025, with about 55% of all fatalities reported from Arab nations. The data also shows that a majority of suicides involving Indians abroad during the period were reported from Gulf nations, underscoring the multiple challenges faced by migrant workers.Saudi Arabia recorded the highest toll, with 182 deaths over the three-year period—more than one Indian worker every week—followed by the UAE with 128 fatalities.
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The Telangana NRI Migrants’ Association attributed the recurring fatalities to multiple factors: inadequate use of safety equipment, poor adherence to workplace safety protocols, technical failures at industrial sites, and insufficient skill and safety training before workers are deployed.Many workers, they said, labour in temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius during the day and return to accommodations cooled to around 20 degrees Celsius, exposing their bodies to daily temperature swings of 20-25 degrees Celsius, which can lead to serious health complications.Most Indian workers in the Gulf are employed in sectors such as construction, retail, warehouses and the automobile industry, where occupational risks are relatively high, members of the association said.“At times, workers themselves neglect their safety by failing to wear essential protective gear such as helmets, boots and gloves while working in construction, chemical and other hazardous industries. In several cases, workers are also unaware of the risks owing to inadequate safety training before deployment,” said Manda Bheem Reddy, vice-chairman, Telangana NRI Cell.Poor living conditionsThe high number of suicides, the migrants’ welfare association said, is often driven by adverse living conditions—cramped accommodation, poor-quality food—coupled with extremely hectic work schedules. Also, workers often go without salaries for up to three months while putting in shifts of up to12 hours a day. Even when wages are paid, salary deductions are common, adding to their mental stress, said B M Vinod Kumar, chairman, Telangana govt’s NRI Advisory Committee.But despite the high death rate, many employers allegedly evade responsibility by attributing workplace deaths to “natural causes“, such as heart attacks, Vinod claimed. Only a few employers provide compensation through insurance coverage.According to the Telangana’s NRI Advisory Committee, more than 250 people from the state died in Gulf countries in 2025 due to various reasons. So far, the govt has provided compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of 150 deceased workers, while compensation for the families of another 100 workers is still pending, the committee said.
