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Qatar's Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said Monday that 13 people were killed and 66 were injured in an explosion at the Ras Laffan gas processing facility the night before, stressing that the blast was accidental and would not affect the country's natural gas exports.
"I find myself today having to do something I have always hoped would never happen, and that is to announce, the tragic loss of 13 lives of our people who hold Indian and Pakistani nationalities. 66 people have been reported injured and are receiving medical treatment, none of whom are in life-threatening condition," Kaabi told reporters.
Kaabi said the explosion occurred during start-up operations at the Ras Laffan Industrial City complex, Qatar's main hub for producing and exporting liquefied natural gas.
He said an investigation into the cause of the blast was underway, but emphasized it was not an act of aggression or sabotage.
"This will not affect in any way our exports to the world," Kaabi said, adding, "This was an accident and not sabotage or hostile in nature."
He added that the plant's export capabilities were unaffected by the incident and that there was no risk to the environment.
Ras Laffan Industrial City, located about 80 kilometers (49.71 miles) north of Doha, serves as the hub of Qatar's natural gas sector and hosts major liquefied natural gas production and export infrastructure tied to QatarEnergy, the state energy company.
The facility is home to the world's largest LNG export operation, producing about one-fifth of global supply.
The Ras Laffan facility was heavily struck by Iranian attacks at the start of the war in March.
At the time, Qatar said the strikes knocked out 17% of the country's export capacity, leading to an estimated loss of $20 billion in annual revenue.
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