54 injured, 18 missing after blast at Qatar’s Ras Laffan Barzan facility

Doha: An explosion and fire at the Barzan gas supply facility in Qatar’s Ras Laffan industrial area injured at least 54 people and left 18 workers unaccounted for, officials said on Sunday.

The blast occurred late on Sunday as technical teams were working to restart parts of the export terminal following earlier disruptions linked to recent regional hostilities. Emergency responders rushed to the site and launched search-and-rescue operations; authorities said the number of casualties reported rose as the situation developed.

State energy firm QatarEnergy confirmed the incident and said the explosion happened during efforts to resume operations at the facility. The Barzan installation is a major element of Qatar’s gas infrastructure, with about 1.4 billion standard cubic feet per day production capacity used for domestic power generation and desalination.

Ras Laffan, one of the world’s key liquefied natural gas hubs, had previously suffered damage and partial shutdowns amid the recent conflict, and officials said the cause of Sunday’s blast was under investigation. It was not immediately clear whether the incident was accidental or linked to external factors.

The facility is operated by QatarEnergy alongside international partners, including a minority stake held by ExxonMobil, which had not issued a detailed public statement at the time of reporting. Any prolonged disruption at Ras Laffan could affect global energy markets, especially in Asia and Europe, which rely heavily on Qatari gas supplies.

Authorities continue search operations and investigations at the site.

(Inputs from IANS)