Explosion and fire reported at Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG complex; authorities cite technical malfunction

Pakistani and Indian nationals were among 13 killed after an explosion at Qatar’s massive Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas (LNG) complex, attributed to a “technical malfunction”, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Saad al-Kaabi said on Monday. Authorities are investigating the cause of the explosion, which Saad al-Kaabi said was “an accident and not sabotage or hostile in nature”. He announced “the tragic loss of 13 lives of our people who hold Indian and Pakistani nationalities”. The state minister said that 66 people were reported injured and were receiving medical treatment, none of whom were in life-threatening condition. They hold Qatari, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Kenyan, Ghanian, Tanzanian, Nigerian and Nepalese nationalities, he added. India’s embassy in Qatar said local authorities had confirmed “that 12 Indian nationals have unfortunately passed away in the Ras Laffan incident”. The embassy said it was working in close contact with the Qatari authorities to extend “all possible help to the Indian nationals and their families affected by this incident, including ensuring that mortal remains of the deceased are sent to India at the earliest”. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s embassy in Qatar also expressed its deep sorrow over the incident and said it remained “available to facilitate Pakistani nationals and their families in connection with the incident”. The embassy added that it was in contact with the relevant Qatari authorities. Any members of the Pakistani community requiring assistance may contact the embassy in Doha at +974 6679 0329 and +974 6648 6213. Qatar’s interior ministry said the “technical malfunction” occurred on Sunday evening, with authorities confirming that the incident took place at the Barzan local gas supply facility. The explosion occurred as workers were restarting operations halted after an Iranian attack in March. The blast took place at a unit supplying gas to local firms and reverberated across Doha. Al-Kaabi, who is also the chief executive officer (CEO) of state-owned QatarEnergy, said an investigation had been launched into the incident. “It will not affect anything regarding export. It will not affect anything regarding our local requirements,” Kaabi stressed, adding that the explosion had “no environmental impact”. At the time of the explosion, AFP journalists in the Qatari capital heard the blast on the country’s northern coast, 64 kilometres away. Another AFP journalist, some 20km away, saw bright orange flames and a plume of smoke rising from the area, home to the world’s largest liquefied natural gas hub. Qatar, which hosts a major US military base, has come under missile and drone attacks during the Iran war, which trapped around 20 per cent of global LNG supply in the Gulf before some shipments began to resume recently. Al-Kaabi drew a line between the status of the Strait and attacks on Gulf nations — which he said remained a “geopolitical, military issue“ — and Sunday’s explosion which he said was “different”. “We have to take it in stride and move on and learn from it,” the state minister added. ‘Internal explosion’ Al-Kaabi explained Barzan’s production had been stopped since December 2025 for maintenance and was first restarted again two days prior to the explosion. QatarEnergy said the blast occurred “during the start-up of operations at Ras Laffan Industrial City, which resulted in an explosion and fire at Barzan local gas supply facility”. By late Sunday night, the fire had been brought under control after emergency response teams were deployed. Ras Laffan had already been badly damaged in the US-Iran war as Iranian strikes targeted Gulf energy infrastructure and forced Qatar to halt gas production. The industrial city is QatarEnergy’s site for LNG production and export with an annual production capacity of 77 million metric tons. The missile attack in March struck two of its key gas-processing units, slashing about 17 per cent of Qatar’s LNG export capacity, which QatarEnergy’s CEO told Reuters would take three to five years to repair. The incident highlights the challenges Gulf producers face in ramping up oil and gas production from facilities shut in during the Iran war. 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. Restarting LNG operations is a particularly complex process due to a deliberately slow cooldown to avoid thermal shock. LNG trains cannot restart simultaneously and must be brought back in sequence. In the liquefaction process — which turns gas into a liquid state by cooling it down to approximately minus 162 degrees Celsius — the cooldown is the most critical step. The war also forced the company to evacuate about 10,000 workers from offshore rigs and onshore processing plants. The company reported no injuries during the March missile attack.

Pakistani and Indian nationals were among 13 killed after an explosion at Qatar’s massive Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas (LNG) complex, attributed to a “technical malfunction”, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Saad al-Kaabi said on Monday. Authorities are investigating the cause of the explosion, which Saad al-Kaabi said was “an accident and not sabotage or hostile in nature”. He announced “the tragic loss of 13 lives of our people who hold Indian and Pakistani nationalities”. The state minister said that 66 people were reported injured and were receiving medical treatment, none of whom were in life-threatening condition”. They hold Qatari, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Kenyan, Ghanian, Tanzanian, Nigerian and Nepalese nationalities, he added. The interior ministry said a “technical malfunction” occurred on Sunday evening, with authorities saying the incident took place at the Barzan local gas supply facility. The explosion occurred as workers were restarting operations halted after an Iranian attack in March. The blast took place at a unit supplying gas to local firms and reverberated across Doha. Saad al-Kaabi, also the CEO of QatarEnergy, said an investigation had started into the incident. “It will not affect anything regarding export. It will not affect anything regarding our local requirements,” Kaabi said, adding that the explosion had “no environmental impact”. At the time of the explosion, AFP journalists in the Qatari capital heard the blast on the country’s northern coast, 64 kilometres away. Another AFP journalist, 20km away, saw bright orange flames and a plume of smoke rising from the area, home to the world’s largest liquefied natural gas hub. Qatar, which hosts a major US military base, has come under Iranian missile and drone attacks during the Iran war, which trapped around 20 per cent of global LNG supply in the Gulf before some shipments began to resume recently. Qatar’s state-owned energy company said the blast erupted “during the start-up of operations at Ras Laffan Industrial City, which resulted in an explosion and fire at Barzan local gas supply facility”. Late on Sunday, QatarEnergy said the fire had been brought under control after emergency response teams were deployed. Pakistan’s embassy in Qatar expressed its deep sorrow over the incident and said it remained “available to facilitate Pakistani nationals and their families in connection with the incident”. The embassy added that it was in contact with the relevant Qatari authorities. It further said Pakistani community members requiring assistance may contact the embassy in Doha at +974 6679 0329 and +974 6648 6213. ‘Internal explosion’ Ras Laffan had already been badly damaged in the US-Iran war as Iranian strikes targeted Gulf energy infrastructure and forced Qatar to halt gas production. Kaabi said the status of the Strait and attacks on Gulf nations remained a “geopolitical, military issue” drawing a line between Sunday’s explosion which he said was “different”. “We have to take it in stride and move on and learn from it,” the minister, who is also QatarEnergy’s chief executive officer (CEO), added. Kaabi explained Barzan’s production had been stopped since December 2025 for maintenance and was first restarted again two days prior to the explosion. Earlier, Qatar’s interior ministry had described Sunday’s incident as an “internal explosion” and a “technical malfunction”. The incident highlights the challenges Gulf producers face in ramping up oil and gas production from facilities shut in during the Iran war. 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. Restarting LNG operations is a particularly complex process due to a deliberately slow cooldown to avoid thermal shock. LNG trains cannot restart simultaneously and must be brought back in sequence. In the liquefaction process — which turns gas into a liquid state by cooling it down to approximately minus 162 degrees Celsius — the cooldown is the most critical step. The facility is located in Ras Laffan Industrial City, QatarEnergy’s site for LNG production and export with an annual production capacity of 77 million metric tons. An Iranian missile attack in March struck two of its key gas-processing units, slashing about 17pc of Qatar’s LNG export capacity, which QatarEnergy’s CEO told Reuters would take three to five years to repair. The war also forced the company to evacuate about 10,000 workers from offshore rigs and onshore processing plants. The company reported no injuries during the March missile attack.

Explosion at Qatar gas hub leaves 54 injured and 18 missing Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 06/22/2026 - 11:17 Qatari authorities say search and rescue operations under way after 'internal explosion' at Ras Laffan complex This frame grab from AFPTV video footage on 21 June 2026 shows an explosion at Qatar's Ras Laffan industrial zone as the result of a 'technical incident' (AFPTV/AFP) Off An overnight explosion at Qatar’s main liquefied natural gas processing facility has injured at least 54 people and left 18 others missing, according to authorities in Doha. The incident at Ras Laffan Industrial City, which is around 80km from Doha, was described on Monday by the Qatari interior ministry as an “internal explosion”.  It said that search and rescue workers had been deployed to conduct search operations.  The ministry said the incident was caused by a “technical malfunction”.  It added that there had not been any leakage from the facility, and there was no danger to public safety.  The state-owned QatarEnergy, which administers Ras Laffan, said that emergency response teams had been immediately deployed after an explosion at the Barzan factory in the complex. The teams brought a fire under control at the facility.  Ras Laffan spans 295 square kilometres - roughly a third of the size of New York City. It is the centrepiece of Qatar’s lucrative gas operation. Ras Laffan: How Qatar gas hub attack is hitting Asia and beyond Read More » The site processes the Gulf state’s vast gas reserves from the offshore North Field, turning it into LNG, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), liquid fuels, petrochemical feedstocks and other byproducts.   In March, Iranian missile strikes caused significant damage at the facility, as Tehran struck Gulf countries that host US bases in response to the US-Israeli war on Iran.  Strikes damaged two of Qatar’s 14 LNG trains and one of its two gas-to-liquid facilities, wiping out 17 percent of LNG export capacity. The disruption was set to sideline 12.8 million tonnes of LNG annually for three to five years and cost $20bn in lost annual revenue, Saad al-Kaabi, chief executive of QatarEnergy, said at the time. Almost all of the output from Ras Laffan is transported via the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman’s Musandam peninsula that Tehran has effectively shut in response to the US-Israeli war.  The combination of the attacks on Ras Laffan and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz stifled Qatar’s main export. Inside Qatar News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Dubai: An explosion tore through Qatar's key natural gas export terminal Sunday night as workers tried to resume operations there after Iran bombed it during the war, causing a fire that hurt at least 54 people, with another 18 still missing hours later.The blast at the Ras Laffan industrial area could cause further chaos in global energy markets, particularly as Qatar remains one of the world's top natural gas producers.Video footage which allegedly shows the moment the explosion occurred tonight at the Ras Laffan Liquified Natural Gas Plant near Doha, Qatar. pic.twitter.com/tEZLxzrZjW— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 21, 2026 Explota fábrica en zona industrial Ras Laffan, una de las más importantes de Catar El incidente ocurrió "como consecuencia de un accidente técnico", reportó el Ministerio del Interior catarí en X. Precisó que el estallido fue "interno" y que los servicios de… pic.twitter.com/q06qhujmwA— Sputnik Mundo (@SputnikMundo) June 21, 2026 The total number of injured persons in the incident that occurred at a factory in Ras Laffan Industrial City has reached (54). The Qatar International Search and Rescue Group of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), in cooperation with Civil Defence teams, is conducting search…— Ministry of Interior - Qatar (@MOI_QatarEn) June 22, 2026 Qatar shut down its production after Iran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz meant it couldn't get shipments out to its clients.With Iran loosening its grip on the strait as negotiations continue over a permanent end to the war, Qatar began work to try to restart its export terminal.On Sunday night, that work sparked an explosion and fire at the Barzan gas supply facility, the state-run firm QatarEnergy said.Operational Incident at Ras Laffan Industrial CityQatarEnergy confirms that there was an operational incident during the start-up of operations at Ras Laffan Industrial City which resulted in an explosion and fire at Barzan local gas supply facility in the evening hours of…— QatarEnergy (@qatarenergy) June 21, 2026 The scale of the damage remains unknown after the blast, with officials initially saying only a few people had been hurt.But hours later, Qatar's interior ministry offered the far-greater casualty figures. (Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Explosion At Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial Area Due To "Technical Incident" A massive explosion rocked Qatar's giant Ras Laffan energy complex.  BREAKING: HUGE EXPLOSION AT RAS LAFFAN INDUSTRIAL CITY IN QATAR’S LARGEST GAS FACILITY The blast was so strong it was heard in Bahrain and reportedly felt like an earthquake. pic.twitter.com/4bdCH0eeWd — Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) June 21, 2026 According to Qatar's interior ​ministry, an explosion ‌resulting from a "technical accident" occurred on Sunday at a factory ​in Ras Laffan, an ​industrial city north of the ⁠capital Doha and site of ​the country's core LNG ​processing operations. It said several injuries were reported but no leak that "threatens safety". Unverified footage circulating on social media shows an explosion at a factory in Ras Laffan Industrial area, located in Qatar. pic.twitter.com/AiqqTxfV6l — Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) June 21, 2026 The ​ministry did not give ​the exact location of the explosion, ‌but ⁠a source with knowledge of the matter said it occurred at the Barzan gas ​plant ​in ⁠Ras Laffan and was due to an "operational error". In a post on X, Qatar Energy confirmed that in the evening hours of Sunday 21 June 2026, there was an operational incident during the start-up of operations at Ras Laffan Industrial City which resulted in an explosion and fire at Barzan local gas supply facility. It added that emergency response teams were deployed immediately to contain the fire, which is now under control. Operational Incident at Ras Laffan Industrial City QatarEnergy confirms that there was an operational incident during the start-up of operations at Ras Laffan Industrial City which resulted in an explosion and fire at Barzan local gas supply facility in the evening hours of… — QatarEnergy (@qatarenergy) June 21, 2026 Shortly after the start of the war, Iranian attacks on the Ras Laffan complex crippled some of the most important LNG facilities prompting Qatar to predict that it would take as much as 5 years for the country's LNG production to come back fully online.  Tyler Durden Sun, 06/21/2026 - 17:30