Qatar Gas Plant Explosion Leaves 54 Injured, 18 Missing

Search teams continue looking for survivors after a blast and fire hit the Barzan facility at Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's main LNG hub.

Doha, Qatar, 22 June 2026: An explosion and fire at the Barzan gas facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City have injured 54 people. Eighteen others remain missing, Qatar's Ministry of Interior said Monday.

The blast struck late Sunday evening at Ras Laffan, located about 80 kilometres north of Doha. The site hosts the world's largest LNG export facility, producing roughly a fifth of global supply.

What Happened

The Ministry of Interior described the incident as an internal explosion caused by a technical malfunction. QatarEnergy, which runs the industrial complex, said the blast and fire occurred during start-up operations at the Barzan plant.

Barzan supplies gas for domestic use rather than export. It feeds local power generation and Qatar's desalination plants, with a capacity of about 1.4 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day.

Authorities said there was no leak of chemical or gas material that could threaten public health or the environment. Officials have not yet released details on the condition of the injured.

Rescue and Search Operations

The Qatari International Search and Rescue Group is leading the hunt for the missing. The unit, affiliated with the Internal Security Force, is working alongside Civil Defence teams securing the site.

QatarEnergy said it activated emergency plans immediately after the explosion on Sunday evening. Response teams brought the fire under control and stopped it from spreading to other units within the complex.

A Facility Already Under Strain

Ras Laffan has faced repeated disruptions in recent months. Qatar halted production at the site in March amid heightened military tensions between the United States and Iran, after strikes damaged parts of the complex. That damage was reported to have cut Qatar's LNG export capacity by about 17 percent, with full repairs expected to take several years.

QatarEnergy began gradually restarting operations at Ras Laffan in April. Sunday's explosion happened as the company worked to bring the Barzan facility back online.

What Happens Next

Technical investigations are underway to determine the exact cause of the malfunction. Officials say the immediate priority remains rescuing the missing and treating the injured.