Doha: Indians were among 13 workers killed and 66 others injured in an explosion at a gas facility in Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, authorities said on Monday.
Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi announced the casualties at a press conference in Doha, describing the incident as an accident.
Al-Kaabi said the explosion and subsequent fire occurred at around 10:30 pm on Sunday at the Barzan local gas supply facility. He said there was no indication that the incident was the result of sabotage or any hostile activity.
“I find myself today having to do something I have always hoped will never happen, and that is to announce the tragic loss of 13 lives of our people who hold Indian and Pakistani nationalities,” he said.
The minister did not provide a breakdown of the victims’ nationalities. He added that all 66 injured workers were receiving medical treatment and that none of the injuries was life-threatening.
QatarEnergy said those injured included nationals of Qatar, Tanzania, India, Pakistan, Guinea, Nepal, Bangladesh, Kenya and Nigeria.
Emergency response teams from QatarEnergy and Qatar’s Civil Defence brought the fire under control shortly after the explosion.
Al-Kaabi said the Barzan facility had been shut since December 2025 for urgent maintenance work and resumed operations only two days before the incident.
Ras Laffan is the centre of Qatar’s energy industry and hosts major liquefied natural gas production and export facilities. QatarEnergy said the affected plant serves the domestic market and is not linked to the country’s LNG export operations.
“This will not affect in any way our exports to the world,” al-Kaabi said, adding that Qatar’s energy supplies remained secure.
The company did not disclose the precise location of the blast within the facility or the extent of the damage. It also said there was no environmental risk and that a technical investigation was under way to determine the cause of the incident.
The Indian Embassy in Qatar expressed condolences to the families of those who died in the incident and said it was coordinating closely with Qatari authorities.
In a post on X, the mission said it would extend all necessary assistance to the families of those killed and injured.
The embassy also shared emergency contact details for affected families and individuals seeking information. It can be contacted on +974-55647502 and +974-55384683, or by email at cons.doha@mea.gov.in.
