Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Several Indians were among 13 people killed and 66 injured in an explosion at Qatar’s Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas (LNG) complex on Sunday evening, as workers were restarting operations disrupted by an Iranian missile attack earlier this year.
Qatari authorities described the incident as a “technical accident” at the Barzan local gas supply facility, part of the vast Ras Laffan Industrial City, the country’s main LNG production and export hub.
advertisement
The blast occurred amid efforts to restore output at facilities affected during the Iran war, which severely disrupted energy exports across the Gulf region.
Qatar’s Energy Ministry said 13 people had died and 66 others were injured. Authorities did not immediately disclose the nationalities of the victims. However, the Indian Embassy in Doha expressed concern over the incident, saying several people had been injured and some were reported missing.
The explosion rattled windows and was reportedly felt across central Doha, more than 70 kilometres from the industrial complex, triggering panic among residents.
“Embassy of India, Doha expresses deep concern at the unfortunate incident that occurred at the Ras Laffan Industrial City yesterday, in which several people got injured and some are missing as per authorities,” the mission said in a statement.
Qatar’s Energy Ministry said the country’s LNG export capabilities remained unaffected and there was no environmental risk resulting from the incident.
The incident highlights the difficulties Gulf energy producers face in restoring operations after facilities were damaged or shut down during the Iran conflict. Qatar has been particularly vulnerable because it relies on the Strait of Hormuz as its primary export route and lacks alternative pathways for LNG shipments.
Restarting LNG production is a complex process that requires gradual cooling of equipment to avoid thermal shock. Industry experts say LNG trains must be brought back online sequentially rather than simultaneously.
Ras Laffan Industrial City is the centre of Qatar’s LNG industry and has an annual production capacity of 77 million metric tons.
In March, Iranian missiles struck two key gas-processing units at the facility, reducing roughly 17 per cent of Qatar’s LNG export capacity. QatarEnergy previously said repairs to the damaged infrastructure could take between three and five years. The conflict also forced the evacuation of about 10,000 workers from offshore platforms and onshore processing facilities.
Qatar hosts one of the largest US military bases in the region and was repeatedly targeted by Iranian missile and drone attacks during the war, which at one stage trapped nearly 20 per cent of global LNG supplies in the Gulf before exports gradually resumed.
– Ends
With inputs from agencies
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
