Qatari authorities have now opened an inquiry after an incident involving three British nationals

Qatari authorities have launched a murder investigation after a British offshore oil worker was allegedly beaten to death onboard the Seafox Burj platform in the Arabian Gulf.

The incident, which took place on Monday, involved three British nationals working for an independent subsea contractor.

Another man suffered injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment while a third individual has been detained in connection with the incident.

“Law enforcement authorities are investigating a 12 December incident at an offshore facility,” an official from Qatar’s interior ministry said.

“The incident involved three British nationals working for a contractor company,” the official added.

“One individual sustained fatal injuries, another was hospitalized and released,” the official said. “A third individual has been detained as part of a criminal investigation by the relevant authorities.”

The British foreign office also confirmed the death in a statement.

“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,” the spokesman said.

‘Bashed to death with an air cylinder‘

While details of the incident have not been officially revealed by authorities in Doha, British media claimed that one of the British rig workers murdered his colleague by bashing him with an air cylinder, then hid the body and tried to kill another co-worker who discovered the incident.

It was claimed the dead man, a married father, was ‘bludgeoned’ with a breathing apparatus bottle before his body was wrapped up in a bed sheet and attempts were made to conceal it in a bathroom in the staff living quarters, according to the Daily Mail.

The suspect, from Aberdeen, had reportedly planned to flee on a helicopter but was detained after attacking a second man who had gone to check on his co-worker.

He is understood to have suffered severe injuries and was taken to hospital.

All three men were contractors employed by Ellon-based Film-Ocean, which has described the incident as “non-work related”.

Film-Ocean, which owns and operates a fleet of remotely operated vehicles for the oil industry, has said it is working with the authorities and the British foreign office to establish the circumstances surrounding the man’s death.