Qatar gas plant blast kills 13, injures 66 at Ras Laffan
What's new: Qatar said the Barzan facility accident was not sabotage and exports remain unaffected as investigators examine the cause.
A blast at Qatar's Barzan local gas supply facility in Ras Laffan killed 13 people and injured 66 during a restart of operations Sunday, Qatari officials said. Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi said those killed were from India and Pakistan and described the explosion as a technical accident rather than sabotage. QatarEnergy said emergency teams contained the fire. Officials said the blast would not affect the country's exports, though al-Kaabi said it was too early to say when plant operations would fully resume. The explosion shook buildings in Doha and hit a key part of the industrial zone as Qatar works to restore energy operations after earlier conflict-related disruptions.