In brief
A massive explosion at the Ras Laffan LNG plant in Qatar Sunday night resulted in 13 fatalities and 66 injuries, according to official reports. The incident, termed a ‘technical accident’, lit up the city skyline with orange flames and sent shockwaves felt as far as 70 km away. Qatar’s Energy Minister assured that production would not impact global exports and the blast was not indicative of sabotage. An investigation into the cause has begun, with officials noting the plant had only recently restarted operations after March shutdowns, and it remains unclear when full output will resume.
At least 13 people were killed and 66 injured after a technical accident at Qatar’s largest liquified natural gas facility.
The incident occurred at the Barzan gas supply plant in the Ras Laffan zone on Sunday night, turning the skyline orange as flames erupted. Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad al‑Kaabi stated the blast would not affect LNG exports and it was neither sabotage nor hostile action.
Ras Laffan hosts the world’s biggest LNG port and had recently resumed operations after a long shutdown. Officials are still determining the trigger, but work has been halted indefinitely.
Indian and Pakistani workers were among the dead, and the India Embassy in Doha offered support to affected families. QatarEnergy confirmed the incident and said emergency teams had contained the fire.
The blast follows security concerns linked to the broader Middle East conflict and potential impacts on global fuel supplies.
