Qatar LNG Plant Explosion Leaves 13 Dead, 66 Injured

Wed Jun 24 2026 06:22:26 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Explosion at Qatar's main liquefied natural gas plant kills 13 and injures 66, officials say, while exports remain unaffected.

A technical accident at Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG facility left 13 workers dead and 66 injured. The explosion, said to be non-sabotage, did not threaten the country’s LNG exports. Authorities are investigating the cause while dealing with the shock to nearby residents. A repair estimate suggests a temporary output reduction of 12.8m tons over 3-5 years.

At least 13 people have died and 66 were injured after an explosion in Qatar's largest gas facility.

The explosion, described by the interior ministry as a technical accident, occurred on Sunday night in the Ras Laffan industrial zone, turning the city’s skyline orange.

Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad Sherida al‑Kaabi assured that the incident would not affect the country’s LNG exports and said it was an accident, not sabotage or a hostile act.

Ras Laffan, host to the world’s biggest LNG export terminal and the largest artificial harbour, had been targeted by Iranian strikes earlier in the year.

The blast rattled windows and was felt across central Doha, panicking residents more than 70km away.

Investigations are underway, with the minister noting there would be no environmental risks but that determining when production resumes will be difficult, as the plant had been shut for urgent maintenance since December 2025 and only restarted two days prior.

All casualties were said to be workers from India and Pakistan. The Indian Embassy in Doha has pledged support to affected families.

QatarEnergy, the state‑owned company, confirmed the blast hit the Barzan local gas supply facility in the evening of 21 June, with emergency teams deployed to manage the fire, now under control.

During the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, the port had suffered extensive damage from retaliatory strikes; repairs are expected to reduce output by 12.8m tons of LNG for three to five years.