Fifty-four people were injured and 18 remain missing following an explosion at Qatar's Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas (LNG) complex on Sunday evening, authorities confirmed. The blast occurred as workers were restarting operations that had been halted after an Iranian missile attack in March.
Technical Accident at Barzan Facility
Qatar's Interior Ministry reported that a 'technical accident' took place at the Barzan local gas supply facility, which supplies pipeline gas to local industry and Qatar's power generation sector. The ministry stated there was no threat to public safety. Emergency response teams were deployed, and the fire has since been brought under control.
The explosion rattled windows and was felt across central Doha, panicking residents more than 70 kilometers from Ras Laffan. Rescue teams are actively searching for the 18 missing individuals.
Impact on Qatar's Energy Infrastructure
QatarEnergy did not specify whether the explosion caused damage to the plant, which also produces ethane, condensate, liquefied petroleum gas, and sulphur for domestic and export markets. The facility is located in Ras Laffan Industrial City, QatarEnergy's primary site for LNG production and export, with an annual production capacity of 77 million metric tons.
Qatar, which hosts a major US military base, has faced repeated Iranian missile and drone attacks during the Iran war. In March, an Iranian missile attack struck two key gas-processing units, slashing about 17% of Qatar's LNG export capacity. QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi told Reuters that repairs would take three to five years. The war also forced the evacuation of about 10,000 workers from offshore rigs and onshore processing plants. No injuries were reported during the March attack.
Global LNG Supply Concerns
Qatar has been among the hardest hit by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, as it has no alternative routes to export its LNG. The closure trapped around 20% of global LNG supply in the Gulf before shipments began to resume recently. The latest incident raises further concerns about the stability of Qatar's LNG output and its impact on global energy markets.
