Qatar Ras Laffan LNG Facility Explosion Kills 13, Injures 66
On June 21, an explosion at Qatar's Ras Laffan LNG facility killed 13 people and injured 66, including 12 Indian workers. The blast occurred during start-up operations at the Barzan gas facility and was caused by a technical malfunction.
Overview
On Sunday, June 21, a severe explosion occurred at Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City LNG processing facility, killing 13 people and injuring 66 others. Search operations for missing persons continued on June 22.
Casualties
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Deaths: 13 (including 12 Indian workers)
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Injured: 66
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Initially missing: 18
Cause
Qatar's Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi stated the explosion occurred during start-up operations at the Barzan local gas supply facility due to a "technical malfunction." He confirmed it was an accident, not an act of aggression or sabotage.
Impact
QatarEnergy's CEO emphasized the incident would not affect Qatar's LNG export capacity. Ras Laffan is one of the world's largest LNG export facilities, and Asian LNG spot prices showed volatility following the incident.