QATAR – Factory Explosion Injures 54, Leaves 18 Missing
An explosion at a factory in Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City injured 54 people and left 18 others missing, according to the country’s Interior Ministry. The blast occurred on Sunday, and emergency teams continue to search for those who remain unaccounted for.
Authorities said the incident was caused by a technical malfunction. The Interior Ministry initially described the event as an internal explosion before later clarifying that a technical failure was responsible for the blast and subsequent fire.
State-owned energy company QatarEnergy said the accident happened during efforts to restart operations at Ras Laffan Industrial City. The explosion and fire reportedly occurred at the Barzan local gas supply facility, although the full extent of the damage has not yet been determined.
Ras Laffan is a key industrial hub and one of the world’s largest centers for liquefied natural gas (LNG) production. An AFP journalist located about 20 kilometres away reported seeing flames lighting up the night sky and a large plume of smoke rising from the area following the explosion.
Qatar is one of the world’s leading LNG exporters, alongside the United States, Australia, and Russia. The latest explosion could create further challenges for the country’s energy sector and may contribute to uncertainty in global energy markets.
Investigations into the cause of the explosion are ongoing, while officials continue to assess the scale of the damage and search for the missing workers.
Photo credit: The Siasat Daily. All rights reserved.