Explosion at Qatar's Ras Laffan gas terminal injures at least 54, leaves 18 missing during restart after Iran strikes

What happened

An explosion ripped through the Barzan gas supply facility in Qatar's Ras Laffan industrial area late Sunday, 21 June 2026. The blast occurred as workers were attempting to restart operations at the plant, which had been shut down for weeks after sustaining damage from Iranian strikes earlier in the year. Witnesses in Doha, about 20 kilometres south, reported hearing a loud detonation and seeing flames and a smoke plume rising over the northern coast.

An internal explosion occurred following a technical incident at a plant in the Ras Laffan industrial area.

Casualties and response

Qatar's Interior Ministry initially said there were no injuries or only a few hurt, but later updated the toll to at least 54 people injured and 18 missing. One report from Ouest France cited 58 injured. Civil defence teams were deployed to contain the fire and search for the missing. The ministry said on social media that search operations were ongoing.

The explosion happened during the restart of operations in the Ras Laffan industrial city, causing an explosion and fire at the Barzan gas supply facility.

War-related shutdown

Ras Laffan is home to the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) production site and Qatar's main export terminal. The complex was forced to halt gas production in March 2026 after repeated Iranian strikes caused significant damage. Those strikes were retaliation for Israeli-American attacks on Iranian facilities, according to Ouest France. The terminal had remained offline for weeks, disrupting global gas markets.

Restart attempt

The Barzan plant was part of the effort to bring Ras Laffan back online. The technical incident during the restart led to the internal explosion and subsequent fire. The exact cause is under investigation, but early statements point to a technical malfunction rather than an external attack.