Explosion at Qatar Gas Terminal Injures 54, 18 Missing

An explosion ripped through Qatar's crucial natural gas export terminal on Sunday night, injuring at least 54 people and leaving 18 missing.

The blast occurred at the Ras Laffan industrial area as workers attempted to resume operations following an earlier bombing by Iran during the ongoing conflict.

Qatar had previously halted production due to Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz, which prevented shipments.

With Iran now easing its grip on the strait amid peace negotiations, efforts were underway to restart the vital export facility.

This incident could exacerbate instability in global energy markets, given Qatar's significant role as a leading natural gas producer.

On Sunday night, that work sparked an explosion and fire at the Barzan gas supply facility, the state-run firm QatarEnergy said.

The scale of the damage remains unknown after the blast, with officials initially saying only a few people had been hurt. But hours later, Qatar's Interior Ministry offered the far-greater casualty figures.

The Barzan plant had a capacity of almost 1.4 billion standard cubic feet of sales gas per day, which Qatar used primarily for local electricity generation and to power its crucial water desalination plants in the desert reaches of the Arabian Peninsula.

Qatar owns nearly all of the plant, with a small share also held by ExxonMobil. The oil company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In March, an Iranian missile hit Ras Laffan, sparking a fire that caused “extensive” damage before it was extinguished, authorities said. Qatar had already halted production there because of Iranian attacks.

Qatar shares its massive offshore natural gas field in the Persian Gulf with Iran. That natural gas production has made Qatar wealthy.