Qatar authorities report an explosion at Ras Laffan Industrial City, north of Doha, that injures people and leaves others missing. Qatar’s interior ministry says the blast occurs at a factory following a “technical accident” or “technical malfunction.” Multiple reports link the incident to the start-up phase of operations at the Ras Laffan complex. Reuters, as cited by outlets including Al-Monitor and NDTV, says 54 people are injured and 18 are missing. QatarEnergy states that an incident during start-up leads to an explosion and fire at the Barzan local gas supply facility, which supplies natural gas to Qatar’s domestic market. Emergency response teams and civil defense units are deployed to handle the incident and contain the fire. Several outlets describe the fire as brought under control, while details about the cause and the status of the broader industrial complex are still under investigation. The reports present a consistent account that the government attributes the blast to a technical failure rather than an external attack.