At least 13 killed and dozens injured in Qatar gas plant explosion

According to BBC Middle East, the explosion occurred at 4:12 am local time on Monday in Train 3 of the QatarEnergy processing facility at Ras Laffan. Regional fire and civil defence teams contained the blaze after a seven-hour operation; Hamad Medical City announced on Tuesday morning that 13 people had died and 78 were under treatment, of whom 14 are in intensive care for serious burns and respiratory injuries. The deceased included 9 Bangladeshi, 3 Indian and 1 Filipino workers.

Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in a statement declaring three days of national mourning, said « this tragedy has deeply shaken us all, and the pain of these losses is shared with the families ». QatarEnergy CEO Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi told a Tuesday press conference in Doha « preliminary findings point to a structural failure in a pressure regulator, but independent investigation teams from the IAEA and the European Centre for Explosion Research have been invited ». The blast halted production on the Train 3 line; QatarEnergy said it expects a temporary 6% reduction in its 1.2-million-tonne-per-day LNG output and that long-term LNG contracts will not be affected.

International reactions continued through Tuesday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said « we extend our condolences for the loss and our industrial safety experts stand ready to support the investigation ». EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said the EU Civil Protection mechanism has been mobilised to provide technical support. Brent crude futures jumped 1.7% to $84.40 in early Asian trading on Tuesday before easing to a 0.8% gain at $83.40 after QatarEnergy's LNG-stability statement. Bangladesh and India dispatched consular officials to Doha on Tuesday.