Qatar gas hub explosions kills 13 and injures 66 Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 06/22/2026 - 11:17 Doha says search and rescue operations under way after 'internal explosion' at Ras Laffan complex This frame grab from AFPTV video footage on 21 June 2026 shows an explosion at Qatar's Ras Laffan industrial zone as the result of a 'technical incident' (AFPTV/AFP) Off An explosion at Qatar ’s main liquefied natural gas processing facility has killed 13 people and injured at least 66 others, Qatar's energy minister said on Monday.  The incident occurred on Sunday at Ras Laffan Industrial City, around 80km from Doha, in what was described by the interior ministry as a “technical accident” at the Barzan factory within the complex.   Saad al-Kaabi, the energy minister, said that the explosion was an accident and not caused by an aggression or sabotage.  He said that an investigation was under way to determine the cause of the blast, adding that it had not impacted Qatar's export capabilities.  The state-owned QatarEnergy, which administers Ras Laffan, said that emergency response teams had been immediately deployed after the explosion, and that a fire had been brought under control at Barzan factory.  Authorities said that there had not been any leakage from the facility, and there was no danger to public safety or the environment.  Ras Laffan spans 295 square kilometres - roughly a third of the size of New York City. It is the centrepiece of Qatar’s lucrative gas operation. Ras Laffan: How Qatar gas hub attack is hitting Asia and beyond Read More » The site processes the Gulf state’s vast gas reserves from the offshore North Field, turning it into LNG, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), liquid fuels, petrochemical feedstocks and other byproducts.