54 people were injured and 18 went missing as a result of an explosion at a key liquefied natural gas processing site in Qatar in Ras Laffan on Sunday, authorities said, UNN reports citing Reuters.
Details
The incident during the launch of production in the industrial city of Ras Laffan led to an explosion and fire at the local gas supply enterprise Barzan on Sunday evening, according to a statement from QatarEnergy. Emergency response teams were deployed to contain the fire, which is now under control.
Qatar's Ministry of Interior said that 54 people were injured and rescue teams are searching for 18 missing persons. It attributed the explosion to a "technical accident" and noted that there is no threat to public safety.
QatarEnergy did not specify whether the explosion caused any damage to the plant, which supplies gas to the domestic market.
Earlier, a Reuters witness reported that a loud "rumble" was heard in the capital Doha, south of the Ras Laffan facility.
The Barzan gas facility has a capacity of 39.6 million cubic meters per day and supplies pipeline gas to Qatar's local industry and energy sector.
It also has capacities for producing ethane, condensate, liquefied petroleum gas, and sulfur for domestic and export markets.
The facility is located in the industrial city of Ras Laffan, QatarEnergy's main site for LNG production and export with a total production capacity of 77 million metric tons per year, realized through 14 processing trains.
During strikes carried out during the US-Israeli war with Iran, two LNG production lines and one of two gas-to-liquid plants were damaged, reducing the country's export capacity by 17%, and repairs are expected to take years.
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