NEW DELHI, June 23 (ANI) — India on Tuesday condoled the death of 12 Indian nationals who were killed in an explosion at the Ras Laffan Industrial City gas facility in Qatar.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the incident was deeply unfortunate and confirmed that several others of different nationalities also died in the tragedy, while dozens were injured.
“It is very unfortunate, the death of 12 Indian nationals. Several others also died of other nationalities, but we lost 12 of our nationals in the tragedy in Ras Laffan, where an explosion happened,” Jaiswal said.
He added that around 66 people were injured across nationalities and that all injured persons are currently receiving medical care.
“We do not know exactly how many of them are Indian nationals, but all those people who are injured are safe,” he said.
The MEA said it is coordinating with Qatari authorities for the identification of mortal remains and their repatriation to India, and is also in contact with the families of the deceased.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expressed deep sorrow over the incident, stating on X, “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives and injuries, including those of Indian nationals, in the explosion at Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City.”
The Indian Embassy in Doha confirmed earlier that 12 Indian nationals had died in the incident, while Qatari authorities reported a total of 13 fatalities.
According to QatarEnergy, the deceased were Indian and Pakistani nationals, while the injured included citizens from multiple countries including Qatar, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Nepal.
QatarEnergy said the incident was an operational accident and not the result of sabotage or hostile action.
The company added that its emergency response teams and Qatar Civil Defence quickly contained the fire, and that LNG facilities, Ras Laffan Port, and export operations were not affected.
The Ministry of Interior in Qatar said preliminary investigations indicate the explosion was caused by a technical malfunction during operations. It also confirmed that no hazardous leak posing a threat to public safety or the environment had been detected.
Authorities have launched a full investigation into the cause of the incident.
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