A powerful explosion at Qatar’s Ras Laffan industrial city has left at least 54 people injured and 18 others missing, prompting an extensive search-and-rescue operation at one of the world’s most important natural gas hubs.
The incident struck the Barzan gas supply facility late on Sunday as crews were working to bring parts of the infrastructure back online. Authorities have launched an investigation while emergency teams continue to search for workers who remain unaccounted for.
The explosion triggered a large fire inside the facility, drawing a rapid response from firefighting and rescue personnel.
QatarEnergy confirmed that restart operations were in progress when the blast occurred. The state-owned energy company said the explosion and subsequent fire broke out during efforts to resume activity at the Barzan facility.
The full extent of the damage has not yet been disclosed.
Search operation continues after Ras Laffan blast
Qatar’s Interior Ministry later revised the casualty figures upward, confirming that 54 people had been injured. Officials also said 18 workers were still missing several hours after the explosion.
Rescue teams remained deployed at the site as authorities continued efforts to locate those unaccounted for.
Barzan facility plays key role in Qatar’s energy network
The Barzan facility forms a crucial part of Qatar’s gas infrastructure and has a production capacity of nearly 1.4 billion standard cubic feet of sales gas per day.
Its output is primarily used to support electricity generation and desalination plants that provide water supplies across the Gulf nation.
Officials said technical teams had been attempting to restore operations following earlier disruptions that affected the region’s energy infrastructure.
Investigation launched into cause of explosion
The Ras Laffan complex had previously faced operational challenges during recent regional tensions, including reported missile strikes that caused damage and led to partial shutdowns.
The facility is jointly operated by QatarEnergy and several international partners. Energy major ExxonMobil holds a minority stake in the project but has not issued a detailed public statement on the incident.
Authorities have not determined what caused the explosion. Officials said it remains unclear whether the blast was accidental or linked to external factors.
Ras Laffan is regarded as a critical centre for global liquefied natural gas exports. Any prolonged disruption at the complex could draw attention from energy markets that depend heavily on supplies from Qatar.