A major explosion at Qatar’s Ras Laffan Port, has killed 13 workers and injured 66 others, making it one of the deadliest accidents in the gas industry in more than two decades.
The blast occurred on June 21 at the Barzan gas processing facility in Ras Laffan industrial zone during restart operations following an extended shutdown. Qatari authorities said the incident was caused by a technical failure and stressed that there was no indication of sabotage or hostile action.
According to Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi, the victims included 12 Indian nationals and one Pakistani citizen. None of the injured are reported to be in life-threatening condition.
The Barzan facility had been out of operation since December 2025 due to urgent maintenance work and had resumed operations only two days before the accident. The plant supplies natural gas for domestic power generation and industrial consumers and also produces liquefied petroleum gas and other export products.
The explosion was powerful enough to be felt in Doha, more than 70 kilometres from the site, prompting concern among residents. Authorities said the incident posed no environmental threat and was contained within the facility.
The accident comes as QatarEnergy continues efforts to restore production at Ras Laffan following damage caused by Iranian missile strikes earlier this year. In March, two gas-processing units at the complex were hit, reducing Qatar’s LNG export capacity by approximately 17%.
Despite the latest incident, Qatari officials insist that LNG production, export operations and port activities at Ras Laffan remain unaffected. The Barzan facility is separate from the liquefaction trains used for LNG exports, and the company said the explosion will not impact Qatar’s ability to supply international customers.
Ras Laffan Port is the world’s largest LNG production and export hub, with an annual capacity of 77 million tonnes. The complex plays a central role in the global gas market and is critical to Qatar’s economy.
