At least 13 people are confirmed dead and more than 60 injured in a blast that rocked Qatar’s largest liquefied natural gas facility on Sunday night.
The explosion, which erupted at the Barzan local gas supply facility in the Ras Laffan industrial zone, turned the city’s skyline orange and rattled windows across central Doha.
"This was an accident and not sabotage or hostile in nature," said Energy Minister Saad Sherida al‑Kaabi. He added that there were no environmental risks from the blast and that investigators are probing the cause.
The facility had been shut since December 2025 for urgent maintenance and only resumed operations two days before the incident. Production at the plant was paused amid the US‑Israel‑Iran conflict but is now under threat of further suspension.
All of the 13 victims were reported to be nationals of India and Pakistan. The Embassy of India in Doha has expressed deep condolences and pledged support for affected families.
QatarEnergy said the required repairs could reduce the port’s LNG output by 12.8 million tonnes for three to five years, a significant cut given this offshore complex accounts for about a fifth of global LNG shipments.
For more details, see BBC report on output reductions.
