12 Indians Killed In Qatar Gas Plant Explosion, Says Embassy

The blast happened as workers were restarting operations, which were halted after an Iranian attack in March.

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A huge blast had rocked Qatar on Sunday.
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Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed
  • 13 people died in a gas plant explosion in Qatar, including Indian nationals
  • The blast occurred at the Ras Laffan LNG complex, causing significant damage
  • 66 individuals were injured and received medical treatment following the incident
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Qatari authorities on Monday confirmed that 12 Indians were killed in an explosion that rocked Qatar's Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas (LNG) complex on Sunday, the Indian Embassy in Qatar said.

"Qatari authorities have confirmed that 12 Indian nationals have unfortunately passed away in the Ras Laffan incident yesterday night. We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the departed souls," the embassy said in a statement.

At least 13 people were killed, and 66 others were injured in the explosoon, the Middle Eastern nation's energy minister confirmed on earlier on Monday. 

"I find myself today having to do something I have always hoped will never happen, and that is to announce, the tragic loss of 13 lives of our people who hold Indian and Pakistani nationalities," Qatar's energy minister Saad al-Kaabi told reporters on Monday.

He said 66 others have been injured in the blast, which happened as workers were restarting operations, which were halted after an Iranian attack in March.

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The minister did not provide any detail on how many Indians had been killed in the incident.

"Sixty-six people have been reported injured and are receiving medical treatment, none of whom are in life-threatening condition," al-Kaabi said, addressing a press conference.

On Sunday evening, authorities had said a "technical accident" had at the Barzan local gas supply facility. 

The Qatar Energy Ministry said the plant's export capabilities were not affected due to the accident, and there was no risk to the environment. 

"This will not affect in any way our exports to the world," Saad al-Kaabi told reporters, adding that "this was an accident and not sabotage or hostile in nature"

QatarEnergy did not give out any detail on where inside the plant the explosion took place. The exact extent of the damage due to the explosion was also not disclosed. However, al-Kaabi said an investigation was launched into the incident.

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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.

Ras Laffan also came under attack in March, when an Iranian missile hit the facility, triggering a fire that caused "extensive' damage.