Migrant worker killed in Mecca building collapse

The labourers were working on the construction site when the roof fell through in Mecca, trapping the group under rubble, Okaz said on its website, citing the Civil Defence department.

The cause of the collapse was not specified, however authorities confirmed the accident was under investigation.

Fifteen of the 18 Egyptians working on the building's metalwork needed hospital treatment.

Saudi Arabia is home to millions of labourers, mainly South Asian nationals.

On Wednesday, two Pakistanis died in a separate construction accident also in Mecca, where authorities are involved in several construction projects.

Last year, at least 10 construction workers from Pakistan and an Indian national died when a convention centre collapsed in Qassim, northwest of the capital Riyadh.

The plight of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia made headlines earlier this month when thousands of labourers from the Phillippines were left stranded in dire conditions.

The Philippines responded to the situation, promising it will send government missions to Saudi Arabia to help thousands of jobless Filipinos left stranded across the kingdom after the plunge in oil prices.   

The Philippine government estimates about 9,000 Filipino workers were affected, though the Manila-based labour rights group Migrante said as many as 20,000 could be in distress.

Asian activists and officials have said thousands of Indians and Pakistanis are also stranded in Saudi Arabia following the layoffs.

About 10 million Filipinos work abroad due to low wages or lack of jobs in their own country of about 100 million people.

Oil-rich Middle Eastern countries have been a key destination since the 1970s.