At least 54 people were injured and 18 others reported missing after a powerful explosion ripped through a gas facility in Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, authorities said on Monday.
The blast occurred late Sunday at the Barzan gas facility in Ras Laffan, Qatar’s main natural gas export hub located about 80 kilometres north of Doha. According to Qatar’s Interior Ministry, the incident was caused by a technical malfunction during operations at the facility. Authorities said there was no threat to public safety and no dangerous gas leaks were reported.
Emergency response teams and rescue personnel were deployed to the scene, while search operations continued for the 18 people still unaccounted for. The resulting fire has since been brought under control, officials said.
QatarEnergy confirmed that the explosion occurred during efforts to restart operations at the Barzan gas plant, which had been shut down following damage sustained during recent regional hostilities.
The Barzan facility has the capacity to produce 1.4 billion cubic feet of gas per day and plays a critical role in supplying fuel to local industries, electricity generation, and water desalination projects. It also produces ethane, condensate, liquefied petroleum gas, and sulphur for domestic use and export markets.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the explosion as concerns grow over the potential impact on Qatar’s energy sector and global gas markets.