At least 13 people have been confirmed dead, 54 others injured, and 18 workers remain missing following a massive explosion at a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City.
Emergency services were deployed immediately after the blast triggered a large fire at one of the country’s key gas processing plants.
Qatari authorities said the explosion was caused by a technical malfunction during efforts to restart operations at the facility, ruling out sabotage or any deliberate attack.
Officials have launched an investigation to determine the exact circumstances that led to the deadly incident.
Rescue teams have continued searching for the missing workers while firefighters successfully contained the blaze.
Authorities also reassured the public that there was no ongoing gas leak or wider threat to nearby communities following the explosion.
Despite the tragedy, Qatar said its LNG exports would continue without interruption.
The incident has raised concerns across global energy markets, as Ras Laffan is one of the world’s most important LNG hubs and plays a vital role in supplying natural gas to countries around the world.