Thirteen individuals were killed in an explosion at the giant liquefied natural gas (LNG) complex of Ras Laffan in Qatar, with victims consisting of Pakistani and Indian nationals. Qatari State Minister for Energy, Saad al-Kaabi, confirmed on Monday that the incident was caused by 'technical failure' and not sabotage or hostile action.
Explosion Incident
Qatar's Interior Ministry reported that a 'technical failure' occurred on Sunday afternoon at the local Barzan gas supply facility. The explosion happened as workers were restarting operations that had been halted after an Iranian attack in March. The explosion shook the northern area of Doha, with AFP journalists 64 kilometers from the incident location also hearing the explosion.
According to al-Kaabi, the fire caused by the explosion was controlled late Sunday night after emergency response teams were deployed. He emphasized that the explosion did not affect exports or local needs, and there were no significant environmental impacts.
Victims and Reactions
Al-Kaabi announced the 'tragic loss of 13 lives of our citizens of Indian and Pakistani nationalities.' In addition, 66 people were reported injured and received medical treatment, but none were in critical condition. The injured included various nationalities: Qatar, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Nepal.
The Indian Embassy in Qatar confirmed that 12 Indian citizens died in the incident and is cooperating with Qatari authorities to send the bodies back to India. Meanwhile, the Pakistani Embassy also expressed condolences and is prepared to assist its affected citizens. They have provided hotlines: +974 6679 0329 and +974 6648 6213.
Impact on LNG Production
The Ras Laffan complex is the world's largest LNG hub with an annual production capacity of 77 million metric tons. Previously, the facility was severely damaged during the US-Iran war, with missile attacks in March damaging two main gas processing units and reducing Qatar's LNG export capacity by 17 percent. Al-Kaabi stated that repairs will take three to five years.
Al-Kaabi explained that Barzan production had been suspended since December 2025 for maintenance and was restarted two days before the explosion. He emphasized that this incident is different from external attacks and is a 'accident' that should serve as a lesson.
Regional Context
Qatar, which hosts the main US military base, has been a target of missile and drone attacks during the Iran war. Closure of the Strait of Hormuz has also significantly affected Qatar's LNG exports due to lack of alternative routes. However, al-Kaabi differentiated between the status of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on Gulf countries with the explosion on Sunday, which he considered technical in nature.
Restarting LNG operations is complicated as it requires slow cooling to avoid thermal shock. LNG units cannot be started simultaneously and must be activated sequentially. This incident highlights the challenges faced by Gulf producers in increasing oil and gas production after the Iran war.
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*Original source: [dawn.com](https://www.dawn.com/news/2009790)*