On Sunday, a massive explosion occurred in Qatar’s important ‘Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas’ (LNG) complex, in which at least 13 people, including Indian and Pakistani nationals, were killed and 66 others were injured. The country’s Energy Minister confirmed the tragic incident on Monday and said that the blast occurred when workers were trying to resume work at the plant.
At a press conference on Monday, Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi broke the sad news to journalists. “Today I have to do something that I always hoped would never happen, and that is to announce the tragic death of 13 of our people who were Indian and Pakistani citizens,” al-Kaabi told reporters on Monday. The minister did not reveal the exact number of Indian citizens among those killed. Regarding the survivors, he assured the public that the injured were receiving immediate treatment.
Addressing a press conference, al-Kaabi said, “66 people are reported injured and are undergoing treatment, the condition of none of them is life-threatening.”
Explosion felt 70 kilometers away in Doha
The sheer force of Sunday’s blast was felt as far away as central Doha, 70 kilometers away, shaking windows and sending people into panic. On Sunday evening, officials initially described the incident as a technical accident at the Barzan Local Gas Supply Facility.
The Indian Embassy in Doha expressed deep concern over the situation and confirmed that it is closely monitoring the developments and is in constant touch with the Qatari authorities. Initial information from officials suggests that several people have been injured and many are still missing.
Despite the seriousness of the explosion, Qatar’s Energy Ministry assured global markets that its LNG export capacity was fully intact and the incident posed no threat to the environment. Saad al-Kaabi told journalists, “This will not affect our exports to the world in any way,” adding that “it was an accident, not an act of sabotage or hostility.”