Qatar detains Briton in criminal probe into death at offshore platform -official

DUBAI (Reuters) – Qatari authorities have detained a British national as part of a criminal investigation into the death of a Briton at an offshore facility, where another Briton was also injured, a Ministry of Interior official said on Wednesday.

In response to a Reuters query, the official said in a statement that the Dec. 12 incident involved three British nationals who had been working for a contractor firm.

“One individual sustained fatal injuries, another was hospitalized and released. A third individual has been detained as part of a criminal investigation by the relevant authorities,” the official said without elaborating.

A spokesman for the British foreign office confirmed the fatal incident. “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died and a man who has been injured in Qatar and are in contact with the local authorities,” he said in a statement.

(Reporting by Ghaida Ghantous in Dubai and Andrew MacAskill in London; Editing by Crispian Balmer)