As many as 54 were injured and 18 went missing after explosions rocked Qatar’s natural gas export terminal on Sunday night after workers tried to resume operations as it was shut down during Iran bombing. Several labourers are still missing at Ras Laffan industrial area said sources.
The blast sent a ball of fire with an intenrse orange glow into the sky during the start up operation at the Barzan local gas supply. State-owned energy giant QatarEnergy and the Qatari Ministry of Interior both confirmed the incident, stating that emergency services immediately rushed to the scene to extinguish the resulting fire. According to official statement from the Interior Ministry, the explosion occured due to an intenal ‘technical malfunction’ during the operations and was not due to an eternal interference.
Initial reports confirmed that no hazardous chemical or gas leaks had been recorded that would threaten public safety. The blast was powerful enough to be heard in parts of Doha, located roughly 80 kilometres south of the industrial hub, and eyewitnesses nearly 20 kilometres away reported seeing massive flames illuminating the northern coastline.
Qatar which is a key natural gas exporter shut down its productions at the Strait of Hormuz remained closed meaning it could not send shipments to it clients. This blast at Ras Laffan industrial area could cause further chaos at the already scrambled global energy market. The natural gas production work at Ras Laffan has began as restrictions at the Strait of Hormuz had eased and vessels began transit. The Barzan gas facility is a key part of Ras Laffan Industrial City, the centre of Qatar’s energy industry and one of the world’s largest LNG production and export hubs.