Qatar's Interior Ministry said early Monday that at least 54 people were wounded and 18 are missing following an explosion at the Ras Laffan gas production facility. The blast occurred Sunday evening; the ministry did not specify the cause. The Zioneer reported overnight that earlier Qatari statements had described an internal explosion at the site with no casualties; today's update marks a major escalation in the toll.
Qatar's Interior Ministry early Monday reported that at least 54 people were wounded and 18 are missing following the explosion Sunday evening at the Ras Laffan gas production facility — a drastic revision from earlier official accounts that described an internal blast with no casualties. The ministry did not specify the cause. The jump in the toll came hours after initial statements had downplayed the incident.
The Zioneer reported throughout Sunday evening as the story developed. At 22:49 Jerusalem, initial reports described an explosion at the Ras Laffan complex, with Qatari authorities confirming an internal blast and no casualties. A subsequent version at the same timestamp attributed the blast to a technical malfunction. By 23:39, our dispatch quoted an earlier Qatari statement describing an internal explosion with no casualties. The latest update now indicates the explosion was far more severe than initially portrayed.
As The Zioneer reported on June 14, Washington Post reporting said Doha had allegedly sought a secret understanding with Tehran before the war to spare the Ras Laffan complex from attack. That context has not been linked to this incident by any official source.
The cause of the explosion remains undisclosed. The fate of the 18 missing persons and any potential changes to the toll are awaited.
11 developments
Source and signal
- Internal intake