Agencies | Doha:
Qatari authorities have confirmed that 12 Indian nationals were among the 13 people killed in the Ras Laffan industrial incident on Sunday night. Officials also said that all those injured in the explosion are in stable condition and receiving appropriate medical treatment.
The incident occurred when an explosion ripped through Qatar’s Barzan gas supply facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City. Qatar’s Energy Minister, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, confirmed the blast during a press briefing in Doha on Monday.
According to Qatar’s Interior Ministry, 18 people remained missing as of Monday, with search and rescue operations ongoing. Efforts are being led by the Qatar International Search and Rescue Group of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) in coordination with Civil Defence teams.
The ministry had initially reported 54 injuries, but Al-Kaabi revised the figure to 66 during Monday’s briefing.
Officials said the explosion occurred while workers were attempting to restart the Barzan facility after months of shutdown. QatarEnergy, the state-run energy company, stated that the blast was linked to the restart operations, while Al-Kaabi described the incident as an industrial accident.
The facility had previously suffered extensive damage following an Iranian missile strike on Ras Laffan in March. Qatar had already suspended gas production at the site amid earlier Iranian attacks and disruptions linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. With negotiations toward a permanent ceasefire progressing and restrictions on maritime traffic easing, authorities had begun efforts to restore operations at key export infrastructure.
The Barzan plant processes nearly 1.4 billion standard cubic feet of sales gas per day and plays a critical role in supplying fuel for electricity generation and water desalination across Qatar. ExxonMobil holds a minority stake in the facility. The company had not responded to requests for comment as of Monday afternoon.
Qatar is among the world’s largest producers of natural gas and shares a major offshore gas field in the Persian Gulf with Iran.
In a statement, the Indian Embassy in Qatar expressed solidarity with the Government and people of Qatar and voiced hope for the safe recovery of those still missing.
The casualty and injury figures are based on information released by Qatar’s Interior Ministry and QatarEnergy as of Monday afternoon in Doha. Search and rescue operations remain ongoing.
