The explosion occurred as facilities shut down after an Iranian attack in March were being reactivated.
Qatar’s Energy Ministry said in a statement that 13 people were killed and 66 injured in the explosion. According to the statement, the plant’s export capacity was not affected and there was no threat to the environment.
Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi told reporters, “Today I have to make an announcement that I had hoped would never happen, and that is that 13 of our people have lost their lives, who are from India and Pakistan. 66 people have been injured and are undergoing treatment.”
Qatar Energy did not say where in the plant the explosion occurred or the nature of the damage, but Saad Al-Kaabi said an investigation into the incident had been launched.
The intensity of the explosion was so great that its impact was felt as far away as central Doha and windows shook in residential areas 70 kilometers away from Ras Laffan.