Injuries reported after explosion at gas facility in Qatar

An explosion and fire broke out at a gas facility in Qatar after a technical malfunction during operations, according to officials. Injuries have been reported.

The incident happened Sunday evening at the Barzan local gas supply facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City, a major energy and industrial hub north of Doha, according to QatarEnergy and the Ministry of Interior.

QatarEnergy said the explosion happened during the start-up of operations at the facility. Emergency response teams were deployed, and the fire has since been brought under control, the company said.

Qatar’s Ministry of Interior initially said there were no injuries, but later said a number of people had been injured. It did not say how many people were hurt or provide details about their conditions.

Residents in Doha reported hearing a blast around the time of the incident, and video shared from the area showed a large fire visible from far away.

Initial speculation on social media suggested the explosion could have been linked to an Iranian attack, but Qatari officials have given no indication that the incident was caused by an attack.