7 Days

Jebel Ali, Mar 25: At least 30 people were injured after violent clashes erupted between Indian and Pakistani workers at a labour camp in Jebel Ali late on Sunday night, according to hospital sources.

The exact cause of the mass brawl has not been confirmed, but workers who live in the camp told 7DAYS that it had to do with the sale of illegal liquor. Injured workers have been taken to Rashid and Al Baraha Hospitals in Dubai for treatment. Police, who would yesterday only confirm seven men had been injured, have cordoned off the affected area after a platoon of riot police was deployed to bring the situation under control.

A police source told 7DAYS: “Riot police were deployed and the necessary preventive measures have been taken to see that no clashes take place between the workers again. Some workers who were responsible for the fight were taken into custody and referred to public prosecution.”

Workers pelted stones and beat each other with iron rods, one witness said, adding that the atmosphere remains tense at the camp. “The fight started at one labour camp and soon spread ... They had a bitter fight until the police reached the camp to control the situation. “Labourers from three different camps were involved, numbering more than a hundred,” said the worker, adding that the fight started over the weekend when some men got drunk and fought among themselves.

“Some of them were badly injured with blood all over them,” the worker added. Thousands of Asian workers live in Jebel Ali, across a number of a labour camps.  The area also witnessed riots last year over low wages, forcing the government to deport many of those involved. Last week, hundreds of workers from a Dubai based construction company went on the rampage at a labour camp in Sharjah.