UAE Paralympian death: UK Athletics charged with manslaughter over 2017 incident

UK Athletics and the former head of sport for a Paralympic event have been charged over the death of Emirati athlete Abdullah Hayayei in 2017 when the Paralympic athlete was training in London, British prosecutors said on Wednesday.

Abdullah Hayayei, from the UAE, was a thrower in the F34 class. He was preparing for the 2017 World Paralympic Athletics Championships at the Newham Leisure Centre when a metal throwing cage fell on him.

The 36-year-old athlete — who had made his debut in the javelin and shot put at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro — was pronounced dead at the scene.

Emergency services were called shortly after 5pm to reports of a seriously injured man. Police, London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance attended the scene. At 5.20pm the athlete was declared dead.

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UK Athletics has been charged with corporate manslaughter and an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act, Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said in a statement.

The CPS said the head of sport for the 2017 World Paralympic Athletics Championships, Keith Davies, aged 77, was also charged with gross negligence manslaughter and an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

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