A massive, accidental explosion followed by a blaze killed 13 workers and injured 66 others at Qatar's key natural gas export terminal in Ras Laffan on Sunday night, according to Qatar's Minister of State for Energy Affairs and Qatar Energy CEO Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi.
The accident took place as workers were resuming operations at the Barzan gas supply facility in the Ras Laffan LNG complex in the north of the country which according to Al-Kaabi, was first restarted two days ago.
Minister Al-Kaabi told a news conference in Doha on Monday afternoon that the explosion "was an accident, and not sabotage or hostile in nature," and that the authorities "started a full investigation to determine the cause of this unfortunate incident."
He added that Qatar's LNG exports will not be impacted by the accident, as "Qatar Energy LNG facilities, Ras Laffan port, other logistical operations in Ras Laffan remain unaffected as a result of this explosion in fire and this will not affect export capabilities."
According to Qatar's minister, the casualties were of Indian and Pakistani nationalities, while the 66 injured are receiving medical treatment, with none of them in life-threatening condition.
"We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of those who have lost their lives and our praise for the swift recovery of those in need," Al-Kaabi said.
"Various Qatar Energy teams are currently providing full support to those affected by this tragedy."
Videos posted on social media on Sunday night showed a massive fireball and fire at the gas supply facility and Euronews journalists in Doha reported that the city was shaken by the explosion which was also reportedly felt in neighbouring Bahrain.
While the Barzan facility was shut down for maintenance in December 2025, Qatar paused its LNG exports citing force majeure, following Iranian strikes on the Ras Laffan processing complex in the first days of the Iran war and Tehran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, which meant it could not get shipments out to its clients.
With Iran loosening its grip on the strait as talks continue toward a permanent end to the war, Qatar began work to restart its export terminal, Qatar Energy said.
The Ras Laffan LNG industrial complex has an annual production capacity of 77 million metric tonnes of gas, which Qatar uses primarily for domestic electricity generation and to power its crucial water desalination plants in the desert reaches of the Arabian Peninsula.
Qatar shares its massive offshore natural gas field in the Persian Gulf with Iran.
