At least 54 people were injured and 18 others were reported missing after an explosion and fire broke out at the Barzan gas supply facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City near Doha on Sunday night, as workers tried to restart operations at Qatar’s key natural gas export terminal.
The blast occurred during the start-up of operations at the Ras Laffan industrial area, which houses the world’s largest liquefied natural gas hub, according to state-owned firm QatarEnergy.
Videos circulating on social media appeared to show a large fireball and thick smoke rising from the site, although the footage could not be independently verified.
An AFP journalist about 20 kilometres away said flames lit up the night sky, with a plume of smoke visible from the industrial area.
BIG BREAKING: 54 people were injured and 18 remain missing after a factory explosion in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar. Authorities say the blast was caused by a technical malfunction, with no hazardous material leak reported. Search and rescue operations are ongoing. pic.twitter.com/WO1N93gVYG
— Osint World (@OsiOsint1) June 22, 2026
Ras Laffan had already suffered significant damage during the US-Iran war, with Iranian strikes targeting Gulf energy infrastructure and forcing Qatar to halt gas production earlier.
In a statement, QatarEnergy said there was an “operational incident” during the restart process at Ras Laffan Industrial City, which led to the explosion and fire at the Barzan facility.
Operational Incident at Ras Laffan Industrial City
QatarEnergy confirms that there was an operational incident during the start-up of operations at Ras Laffan Industrial City which resulted in an explosion and fire at Barzan local gas supply facility in the evening hours of…
— QatarEnergy (@qatarenergy) June 21, 2026
Qatar’s Interior Ministry described the incident as an “internal explosion” and later said a “technical malfunction” was the cause. It confirmed that 54 people were injured and that search operations were underway for 18 missing individuals.
“The total number of injured persons in the incident that occurred at a factory in Ras Laffan Industrial City has reached (54). The Qatar International Search and Rescue Group of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), in cooperation with Civil Defence teams, is conducting search operations for (18) missing persons,” 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). The Qatar International Search and Rescue Group of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), in cooperation with Civil Defence teams, is conducting search…
— Ministry of Interior – Qatar (@MOI_QatarEn) June 22, 2026
The Ras Laffan complex had also been hit earlier in March, when an Iranian missile struck the area, sparking a fire that caused “extensive” damage before it was put out. Qatar had already halted production there due to those earlier attacks.
Qatar shares its vast offshore natural gas field in the Persian Gulf with Iran. The country’s gas production has made it one of the world’s wealthiest nations, helping fund major global initiatives, including hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, launching the Al Jazeera news network, and supporting international mediation efforts such as talks in Switzerland between Iran and the United States.
(With inputs from agencies)
