A major explosion at Qatar's primary liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing site in the Ras Laffan industrial zone on Sunday night has led to the deaths of at least 13 individuals and left 66 injured. The incident, which caused the city's skyline to glow orange and was felt as far as central Doha, has prompted an immediate investigation into its cause.
Qatar's Interior Ministry confirmed the blast at what was described as a 'technical accident' at the Barzan local gas supply facility. Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi stated that the explosion would not affect Qatar's significant gas exports, clarifying that it was an accident and not the result of sabotage or hostile action. He added that environmental risks were not present, though determining when operations would fully resume would be challenging.
The explosion occurred as workers were in the process of restarting operations at the facility. Production had been intentionally halted since December 2025 for urgent maintenance and had only recommenced two days prior to the incident. All those killed in the blast have been identified as being from India and Pakistan, with the Embassy of India in Doha offering condolences and support to the affected families.
QatarEnergy, the state-owned energy company, confirmed the explosion at the Barzan facility on Sunday evening, June 21st, stating that emergency response teams swiftly contained the subsequent fire. This facility is part of the Ras Laffan Port, which is the world's largest artificial harbour and home to the globe's largest LNG export facility.
The region has seen previous disruptions; earlier this year, Ras Laffan Port reportedly sustained 'extensive damage' from retaliatory strikes during the US-Israel conflict with Iran. Qatar, a crucial global energy supplier, had previously halted production in response to that conflict, pausing a fifth of the world's LNG supply, with shipments only recently beginning to resume.