The Kabul Tribune (KT) — An explosion at a major natural gas export facility in Qatar has injured at least 54 people and left 18 others missing, according to a report by The Associated Press.
The blast occurred late Sunday night in the Ras Laffan
industrial area as workers attempted to resume operations following earlier
damage caused by Iranian strikes during the conflict. The explosion triggered a
large fire at the Barzan gas supply facility, operated by QatarEnergy.
Initial reports suggested only a small number of casualties,
but hours later, Qatar’s Interior Ministry confirmed significantly higher
figures, with dozens injured and several still unaccounted for.
The incident comes as Qatar seeks to restore gas exports
after disruptions caused by tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. The country had
previously halted production due to Iranian attacks that restricted the
movement of shipments.
The Barzan facility, which produces nearly 1.4 billion
standard cubic feet of gas per day, plays a crucial role in supplying energy
for domestic electricity generation and water desalination.
Qatar holds the majority stake in the plant, while ExxonMobil
owns a smaller share. The company has not yet commented on the incident.
The full extent of the damage remains unclear. Earlier in
March, an Iranian missile strike on the Ras Laffan area caused extensive damage
and forced a shutdown of operations.
Qatar, one of the world’s leading natural gas producers,
shares a major offshore gas field in the Persian Gulf with Iran, making energy
infrastructure in the region highly sensitive to geopolitical tensions.
