Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17820961781381782096174675.jpeg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Paolo Sbalzer, Pexels</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>An explosion at a factory in Qatar injured 54 people and left 18 missing, the Gulf state&#x27;s interior ministry said Monday.</p><p>A &quot;technical incident&quot; caused the blast on Sunday in Qatar&#x27;s Ras Laffan industrial zone, the ministry said, adding that authorities were searching for the missing.</p><p>An AFP journalist 20 kilometers away saw flames illuminating the night sky and a plume of smoke rising from the area, home to the world&#x27;s largest liquefied natural gas hub.</p><p><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/3/19/iran-strikes-cause-extensive-damage-at-major-qatar-gas-hub-0900">Ras Laffan had already been badly damaged in the US-Iran war</a>, with <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/3/3/energy-infrastructure-emerges-as-war-target-lifting-prices-0918">Iranian strikes targeting Gulf energy infrastructure </a>and forcing Qatar to halt gas production.</p><p>State-owned firm QatarEnergy said the blast occurred &quot;during the start-up of operations at Ras Laffan Industrial City, which resulted in an explosion and fire at Barzan local gas supply facility&quot;.</p><p>The interior ministry described the incident as an &quot;internal explosion&quot;, adding in a later statement that a &quot;technical malfunction&quot; was to blame.</p><p>&quot;A total of 54 people were injured in the incident that occurred at a factory in the Ras Laffan Industrial City&quot;, the ministry posted on X on Monday, adding that authorities were searching for 18 missing people.</p><p>The tiny emirate, one of the world&#x27;s leading liquefied natural gas producers alongside the United States, Australia and Russia, ceased LNG production on March 2 after Iranian drone strikes hit key facilities.</p><p>Further damage from attacks on March 18 was expected to cut LNG export capacity by 17 percent and take three to five years to repair, Qatar&#x27;s Energy Minister Saad Al-Kaabi said at the time.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/6/22/iran-us-talks-to-continue-through-the-night-in-switzerland-0858">Iran, US agree on roadmap to final deal within 60 days—mediators</a></div>

<p>An explosion at a factory in Qatar injured 54 people and left 18 missing, the Gulf state's interior ministry said Monday.</p>

An explosion at a factory in Qatar injured 54 people and left 18 missing, the Gulf state's interior ministry said Monday.

Qatar factory explosion injures 54: interior ministry

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Qatar factory explosion injures 54: interior ministry

Agence France-Presse

Published June 22, 2026 10:45 AM PHT

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Ras Laffan

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