Doha, 23 June (H.S.):

Thirteen people, including 12 Indian nationals, were killed and 66 others injured in a massive explosion at the Barzan Local Gas Supply Facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City on Sunday. According to the Embassy of India in Qatar, the condition of the injured remains stable and they are receiving medical treatment. The embassy also said it is coordinating with the relevant authorities to expedite the repatriation of the mortal remains of the deceased to India. Notably, the Barzan plant had remained shut since December 2025 for scheduled maintenance and had resumed operations only two days before the explosion.

Located near the North Field, about 80 kilometres northeast of Doha, Ras Laffan Industrial City is one of Qatar's most important industrial hubs, employing nearly 115,000 people.

According to Qatar News, Qatar's Minister of State for Energy Affairs and President and CEO of QatarEnergy, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, confirmed the incident during a press conference in Doha on Monday. He said the explosion occurred at around 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 21. Al-Kaabi clarified that the blast was an industrial accident and not the result of sabotage or any hostile act.

Expressing his condolences, Al-Kaabi said the victims included Indian and Pakistani nationals. He added that none of the 66 injured workers was in critical condition. The injured include citizens of Qatar, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kenya, Iran, Tanzania, Nigeria and Nepal.

Al-Kaabi further stated that the Barzan plant had been closed since December 2025 for essential maintenance and had resumed operations only two days before the explosion. QatarEnergy's emergency response teams, along with Qatar Civil Defence personnel, brought the fire under control swiftly. An investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of the incident.

According to QatarEnergy, the Barzan complex, commissioned in 2022, supplies pipeline gas for domestic consumption. The facility has the capacity to deliver 1.4 billion standard cubic feet of natural gas per day to local power generation plants, water desalination facilities and domestic industries. It also produces and supplies hydrocarbon products, including ethane, condensate and sulphur, for both the domestic market and export.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar