Doha: An explosion ripped through Qatar’s key natural gas export infrastructure injuring at least 54 people while 18 others remain missing, according to official reports. 

The blast occurred in the Ras Laffan industrial area on Sunday night, one of the world’s most important energy hubs, during ongoing efforts to resume operations at the facility following earlier disruptions linked to regional conflict.

The incident triggered a major fire at the Barzan gas supply facility, prompting emergency response teams to rush to the site.

State energy giant QatarEnergy confirmed the incident, saying operations were underway to restart parts of the export terminal when the explosion took place. On Sunday night, that work sparked an explosion and fire at the Barzan gas supply facility, according to the company.

The scale of damage remains unclear, but Qatar’s Interior Ministry later confirmed significantly higher casualty figures than initially reported. Authorities said at least 54 people were injured in the explosion, while search operations were ongoing for 18 missing workers hours after the incident.

The Barzan facility is a major component of Qatar’s gas infrastructure, with a production capacity of nearly 1.4 billion standard cubic feet of sales gas per day. The output is primarily used for domestic electricity generation and to power desalination plants that supply water across the arid Gulf state.

Officials said the explosion came as technical teams were attempting to restore operations following earlier disruptions in the region. The Ras Laffan complex had previously been affected during the recent conflict, including reported missile strikes that caused damage and forced partial shutdowns of operations.

The facility is jointly operated by QatarEnergy and international partners, including a minority stake held by energy major ExxonMobil, which has not yet issued a detailed public response.

Ras Laffan has long been considered a strategic backbone of global liquefied natural gas supply, and any prolonged disruption could have implications for international energy markets, particularly in Asia and Europe, which rely heavily on Qatari exports.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the explosion, while emergency and security teams continue search-and-rescue operations at the site. Officials have not yet confirmed whether the blast was accidental or linked to external factors.

The incident follows a period of heightened instability in the region, with previous attacks on energy infrastructure raising concerns about the vulnerability of critical Gulf energy facilities amid broader geopolitical tensions.