A powerful explosion ripped through a factory in Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, leaving at least 54 people injured and 18 others missing.

 

The blast occurred late Sunday, June 21, in Ras Laffan, which hosts Qatar’s main export terminal for natural gas about 80 km north of Doha.

 

Fifty-four people had been injured, and rescue teams were looking for 18 missing people, Qatar’s Interior Ministry said in a statement. He attributed the explosion to a “technical accident” and said there was no threat to public safety.

 

The Barzan gas facility has a capacity of 1.4 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd), and supplies pipeline gas to local industries and Qatar’s power generation sector. It also has capacity to produce ethane, condensate, liquefied petroleum gas and sulfur for domestic and export markets.

 

Ras Laffan was targeted by Iran during the war and remained shut for several weeks afterward. Qatari authorities said the blast occurred as workers were attempting to restart operations at the Barzan gas plant.