An explosion at a major natural gas facility in Qatar has killed at least 13 people and injured 66 others, with officials saying the incident was caused by an accident and not sabotage.
Qatar's Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Saad al-Kaabi, said at a press conference on Monday that an explosion and fire broke out late Sunday at the Barzan gas facility at the Ras Laffan industrial area, a major hub for liquefied natural gas (LNG) production and exports located about 80 kilometres north of Doha.
"I would like to confirm that what happened was an accident and not a sabotage or hostile action," al-Kaabi said, adding that the facility had been shut down for maintenance since December 2025 and had resumed operations only two days before the incident.
Rescue and civil defence teams brought the fire under control by dawn, he said.
"We have begun an investigation to determine the cause of this unfortunate fire," al-Kaabi told reporters, adding that LNG production and exports at other facilities and ports had not been affected.
The incident comes Qatar, which holds the world's third-largest gas reserves and is a leading LNG exporter, has become a focal point in the US-Iran conflict.
The Ras Laffan complex was previously damaged as Iran has attacked Gulf nations in retaliation for Israeli-US strikes.
Those attacks temporarily reduced Qatar’s LNG export capacity by 17%, according to government figures, prompting Doha to declare force majeure to buyers at the time.
The conflict between the US, Israel and Iran began in late February. A ceasefire came into force in early April, although it has been repeatedly and sporadically violated.
Last week, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at reaching a comprehensive agreement to end the conflict within 60 days.
