Nepali workers were among those injured in an explosion and fire at a gas processing facility in Qatar, authorities said, as officials confirmed that 13 people were killed and 66 were injured in one of the country’s deadliest industrial accidents in recent years.
The blast occurred on Sunday night at the Barzan gas processing facility inside the Ras Laffan Industrial City complex, according to Qatar Energy officials. The injured include workers from Nepal, Qatar, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania and Nigeria. Authorities said none of the injured is in a critical condition.
Energy minister and president and CEO of QatarEnergy, Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi, said in Doha that the incident was a “technical accident” and not linked to sabotage or hostile activity. He said emergency teams and civil defence units brought the fire under control quickly.
Al-Kaabi said production at the Barzan facility had been halted for maintenance since December 2025 and was restarted only two days before the incident. He added that Qatar’s liquefied natural gas operations, export systems and port facilities were not affected.
The people killed were Indian and Pakistani nationals, he said.
Al-Kaabi said Qatar has sufficient gas reserves and alternative supply capacity, and the country’s export commitments will not be affected. He also expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the explosion, Reuters reported.
Al-Kaabi said the incident is under review, while reiterating that there is no impact on wider energy infrastructure.
Qatar hosts one of the world’s largest liquefied natural gas export hubs at Ras Laffan.
Hom Karki is a reporter with two decades experience covering migrant workers issues and the Nepali diaspora. He was previously based in the Gulf for Kantipur Daily.
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