In brief
A technical accident rocked Qatar’s largest LNG export hub, Ras Laffan, on Sunday night, sending shock waves across Doha. Fifteen people died and 66 were injured, with casualties predominantly Indian and Pakistani workers. Energy Minister Saad al‑Kaabi confirmed the blast will not affect exports and that a comprehensive inquiry is underway. While the facility had only just resumed operations after a shutdown in December, the incident highlights potential safety gaps amid the region’s tense geopolitical climate.
In a tragic turn of events, an explosion at Qatar’s main liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing site on Sunday night claimed at least 13 lives and left 66 others wounded. The incident occurred at the Barzan local gas supply facility in Ras Laffan, a sprawling industrial zone that hosts the world’s largest LNG export terminal.
According to Minister of Energy Saad Sherida al‑Kaabi, the accident was a "technical incident" and not the result of sabotage or hostile activity. He assured that the blast would not threaten the country’s export capacity, though an investigation into the exact cause is underway.
Casualties were predominantly Indian and Pakistani workers, as reported by the Embassy of India in Doha, which pledged support to the families of the victims. The blast sent orange flames across the Doha skyline and vibrated windows more than 70 km away, underscoring the scale of the explosion.
Ras Laffan had only resumed limited operations two days prior, after a hiatus that began in December 2025 for maintenance purposes. The unexpected incident has complicated the restart timetable for the plant, with Ministry officials noting that it is unclear when full operations will resume.
QatarEnergy, the state-owned energy company, stated that emergency response teams swiftly contained the fire, keeping it under control. The facility had been targeted by Iranian strikes earlier in the year amidst the broader geopolitical tensions in the region, and repairs are expected to reduce LNG output by 12.8 million tonnes for the next three to five years.
The explosion marks a critical safety concern for the region’s energy infrastructure, even as Qatar works to restore its role as a major LNG supplier on the world stage.
