IBNS-CMEDIA: An explosion rocked a factory in Qatar on Sunday, injuring 54 people and leaving 18 others missing, according to the country’s Interior Ministry.
The ministry said the blast occurred due to a “technical malfunction” during operations at a facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City, one of Qatar’s key energy hubs.
In a statement posted on X, the ministry said: “The total number of injured persons in the incident that occurred at a factory in Ras Laffan Industrial City has reached 54.”
It added that the Qatar International Search and Rescue Group of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), in coordination with Civil Defence teams, is continuing search operations for 18 missing persons.
“Further to the previous statement, the incident was caused by a technical malfunction during operations at a factory in Ras Laffan Industrial City,” the ministry said.
Providing additional details, state-owned QatarEnergy said: “There was an operational incident during the start-up of operations at Ras Laffan Industrial City which resulted in an explosion and fire at the Barzan local gas supply facility during the evening hours of Sunday, 21 June 2026.”
The incident comes amid heightened concerns over the security of Gulf energy infrastructure. Ras Laffan Industrial City, a major centre for Qatar’s natural gas industry, reportedly sustained damage during the recent Iran-US conflict. Qatar was also forced to halt some gas production following Iranian strikes targeting Gulf energy facilities.
Qatar is one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
