A Qatari photojournalist for a local sports outlet died suddenly while covering the FIFA World Cup, making him the second journalist to pass away during the tournament.
Qatar-based Gulf Times, a well known English language newspaper, first reported his death on Dec. 10. The report stated, “Al Kass TV photojournalist Khalid al-Misslam passed away recently. Al- Misslam, a Qatari, died suddenly while covering the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.”
A second journalist dies in Qatar whilst covering the #WorldCup. Photojournalist Khalid al-Misslam from Qatari news channel Al Kass TV passed away on Saturday; a day before that, US soccer journalist Grant Wahl, 48, collapsed at the match between Argentina and the Netherlands. pic.twitter.com/yy7tXdQl8B
— Monica Grayley (@MonicaGrayley) December 11, 2022
The circumstances surrounding Al-Misslam’s death remain unclear. He was working for Al Kass TV, a Qatari-based sports broadcasting channel. (RELATED: American Sports Journalist Grant Wahl Dies Suddenly In Qatar)
News of his death came on the same day a World Cup security guard was seriously injured after falling from a stadium, The Guardian reported. The man — migrant worker — is in stable but critical condition, The Guardian added.
Qatar World Cup CEO Nasser al-Khater addressed an earlier migrant worker death, saying “death is a natural part of life — whether it’s at work, whether it’s in your sleep,” the Guardian reported. His response was immediately met with criticism from Human Rights Watch and other groups, according to CBS News.
It comes after the death of influential U.S. soccer journalist Grant Wahl, who collapsed on Friday during the Argentina-Netherlands match. Paramedics performed CPR on Wahl before rushing him to hospital on a stretcher, according to NPR.
His death came after he went to a medical clinic and was told he had bronchitis, Wahl said on his podcast. He had been covering the deaths of migrant workers and was temporarily detained by Qatari authorities for wearing a shirt with the gay pride flag.