Explosion at QatarEnergy’s Ras Laffan plant kills 13, injures 66

An explosion at QatarEnergy’s Ras Laffan industrial complex killed 13 people and injured 66 others as workers were restarting operations that had been disrupted during the Iran war.

The government said the blast Sunday night was caused by a “technical accident” at the Barzan gas processing facility and that Qatar’s LNG export operations were not affected, Reuters reports.

QatarEnergy did not disclose the precise location of the explosion or the extent of any damage, while Energy Minister and QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi said an investigation had been launched.

The incident demonstrated the operational challenges facing Gulf energy producers as they bring facilities back online after wartime shutdowns, particularly in Qatar, which depends entirely on the Strait of Hormuz to export its liquefied natural gas.