12 Indians among 13 killed in Qatar gas plant explosion, 66 injured
The explosion occurred at the Barzan gas supply facility, part of the sprawling Ras Laffan Industrial City, the country's main LNG production and export hub.
Twelve Indian nationals were among 13 people killed in an explosion at Qatar's Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas (LNG) complex, the Indian Embassy in Doha said on Tuesday, adding that all those injured in the incident were in stable condition and receiving treatment.
Qatar's Energy Minister and QatarEnergy chief executive Saad al-Kaabi said those killed were Indian and Pakistani nationals. The explosion occurred at the Barzan gas supply facility, part of the sprawling Ras Laffan Industrial City, the country's main LNG production and export hub. Authorities described the incident as a "technical accident" and said an investigation had been launched.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, al-Kaabi confirmed the casualties and expressed condolences to the victims' families.
"I find myself today having to do something I have always hoped will never happen, and that is to announce, the tragic loss of 13 lives of our people who hold Indian and Pakistani nationalities. 66 people have been reported injured and are receiving medical treatment, none of whom are in life-threatening condition," al-Kaabi said.
The blast was felt across central Doha, more than 70 kilometres from Ras Laffan, rattling windows and causing panic among residents.
Al-Kaabi said there was no environmental risk from the incident and that Qatar's LNG export operations remained unaffected.
"This was an accident and not a sabotage or hostile in nature...Plant production was intentionally completely stopped since December 2025 due to urgent maintenance requirements, it was first restarted again only two days ago," he said.
INDIAN EMBASSY EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES
The Indian Embassy in Doha expressed condolences to the families of those killed in the explosion and said it was coordinating closely with Qatari authorities.
In a post on X, the embassy said, "We convey our deepest condolences to the families of those who have unfortunately passed away in the sad incident at Ras Laffan Industrial City last night."
"Our embassy is working in close contact with the Qatari authorities to extend all possible assistance to the Indian nationals and their families affected by this incident, including ensuring that the mortal remains of the deceased are repatriated to India at the earliest," the mission said in another post.
BLAST HITS FACILITY RECOVERING FROM WAR DAMAGE
The explosion comes months after Iranian missiles struck key gas-processing units at Ras Laffan during the Iran war, damaging infrastructure and disrupting production.
Qatar, which hosts a major US military base, faced repeated Iranian missile and drone attacks during the conflict. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the war disrupted nearly 20 per cent of global LNG supplies before shipments gradually resumed.
The latest incident shows the difficulties energy producers face in bringing facilities back online after prolonged shutdowns and wartime damage. Restarting LNG operations is a highly complex process. Facilities must undergo a gradual cooldown procedure to avoid thermal shock, and LNG trains cannot be restarted simultaneously. Instead, they must be brought online in carefully planned stages.
KEY ROLE IN QATAR'S ENERGY SECTOR
The Barzan facility supplies gas to local industries and power stations and also produces liquefied petroleum gas and other products for export. It forms part of Ras Laffan Industrial City, QatarEnergy's flagship LNG production and export centre, which has an annual production capacity of 77 million metric tons.
In March, Iranian missile strikes hit two major gas-processing units at Ras Laffan, cutting about 17 per cent of Qatar's LNG export capacity. QatarEnergy previously said repairs to the damaged infrastructure could take between three and five years.
The conflict also forced the evacuation of around 10,000 workers from offshore platforms and onshore processing facilities, although no injuries were reported during the missile attack.
Twelve Indian nationals were among 13 people killed in an explosion at Qatar's Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas (LNG) complex, the Indian Embassy in Doha said on Tuesday, adding that all those injured in the incident were in stable condition and receiving treatment.
Qatar's Energy Minister and QatarEnergy chief executive Saad al-Kaabi said those killed were Indian and Pakistani nationals. The explosion occurred at the Barzan gas supply facility, part of the sprawling Ras Laffan Industrial City, the country's main LNG production and export hub. Authorities described the incident as a "technical accident" and said an investigation had been launched.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, al-Kaabi confirmed the casualties and expressed condolences to the victims' families.
"I find myself today having to do something I have always hoped will never happen, and that is to announce, the tragic loss of 13 lives of our people who hold Indian and Pakistani nationalities. 66 people have been reported injured and are receiving medical treatment, none of whom are in life-threatening condition," al-Kaabi said.
The blast was felt across central Doha, more than 70 kilometres from Ras Laffan, rattling windows and causing panic among residents.
Al-Kaabi said there was no environmental risk from the incident and that Qatar's LNG export operations remained unaffected.
"This was an accident and not a sabotage or hostile in nature...Plant production was intentionally completely stopped since December 2025 due to urgent maintenance requirements, it was first restarted again only two days ago," he said.
INDIAN EMBASSY EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES
The Indian Embassy in Doha expressed condolences to the families of those killed in the explosion and said it was coordinating closely with Qatari authorities.
In a post on X, the embassy said, "We convey our deepest condolences to the families of those who have unfortunately passed away in the sad incident at Ras Laffan Industrial City last night."
"Our embassy is working in close contact with the Qatari authorities to extend all possible assistance to the Indian nationals and their families affected by this incident, including ensuring that the mortal remains of the deceased are repatriated to India at the earliest," the mission said in another post.
BLAST HITS FACILITY RECOVERING FROM WAR DAMAGE
The explosion comes months after Iranian missiles struck key gas-processing units at Ras Laffan during the Iran war, damaging infrastructure and disrupting production.
Qatar, which hosts a major US military base, faced repeated Iranian missile and drone attacks during the conflict. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the war disrupted nearly 20 per cent of global LNG supplies before shipments gradually resumed.
The latest incident shows the difficulties energy producers face in bringing facilities back online after prolonged shutdowns and wartime damage. Restarting LNG operations is a highly complex process. Facilities must undergo a gradual cooldown procedure to avoid thermal shock, and LNG trains cannot be restarted simultaneously. Instead, they must be brought online in carefully planned stages.
KEY ROLE IN QATAR'S ENERGY SECTOR
The Barzan facility supplies gas to local industries and power stations and also produces liquefied petroleum gas and other products for export. It forms part of Ras Laffan Industrial City, QatarEnergy's flagship LNG production and export centre, which has an annual production capacity of 77 million metric tons.
In March, Iranian missile strikes hit two major gas-processing units at Ras Laffan, cutting about 17 per cent of Qatar's LNG export capacity. QatarEnergy previously said repairs to the damaged infrastructure could take between three and five years.
The conflict also forced the evacuation of around 10,000 workers from offshore platforms and onshore processing facilities, although no injuries were reported during the missile attack.
