Beijing Olympic organisers have denied a report that ten workers had died during the construction of the showpiece stadium for the 2008 Olympics, which start in 200 days.
A report in Britain's Sunday Times said 'a conservative estimate of 10 accidental deaths since construction began on the stadium in 2003 was reached by comparing numerous accounts of witnesses who worked at the site in different periods'.
'The report by the Sunday Times that 10 people have died in the construction of the National Stadium is not true,' said Sun Weide, spokesman for the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG).
The 91,000-seater stadium, nicknamed the Bird's Nest, is scheduled to be completed by the end of March and will host the opening and closing ceremonies, and athletics and soccer finals at the 8-24 August Games.
