The Qatari Ministry of Interior said that search and rescue forces are still continuing efforts to search for nearly 20 people still missing after a large explosion occurred at the country's key energy facility.
The large explosion shook Qatar's important natural gas export port on the evening of June 21 as workers were trying to restore operations here after the facility was attacked by Iran during the conflict.
The explosion caused a fire, injuring at least 54 people, while 18 others have not been identified for many hours afterwards.
The explosion at the Ras Laffan industrial park could continue to disrupt the global energy market, especially as Qatar remains one of the world's largest natural gas producers.
Qatar had to stop producing gas after Iran tightened control of the Hormuz Strait, making it unable to transport gas to customers. In the context of Iran's recent easing of operations in Hormuz as peace talks with the US are taking place, Qatar has begun to implement a plan to restore export operations.
However, on the evening of June 21, the restoration process led to an explosion and fire at the Barzan gas supply facility, according to information from the state-owned energy corporation QatarEnergy.
The extent of damage after the explosion has not yet been clearly determined. Initially, officials only said that a few people were injured, but a few hours later, the Qatari Ministry of Interior announced a much higher number of casualties.
The Barzan plant has a capacity of nearly 1.4 billion cubic feet of standard gas per day (equivalent to about 39.6 million m3 of gas per day). This amount of gas is mainly used by Qatar to produce electricity domestically and operate seawater desalination plants - essential infrastructure in the desert country of the Arabian Peninsula.
Qatar owns almost the entire Barzan factory and the US corporation ExxonMobil holds a small stake.
Last March, an Iranian missile hit the Ras Laffan facility, causing a fire, causing serious damage to the facility. Previously, Doha had to temporarily suspend production here due to Iranian attacks.
Qatar and Iran share a huge offshore natural gas field in the Persian Gulf. Abundant gas resources have helped Qatar become one of the richest countries in the world.
Gas revenue also helps Qatar expand its investment influence globally, owning many strategic assets in major cities such as London and Paris, hosting the 2022 World Cup, building the Al Jazeera media network, and playing an international mediating role in many conflicts, including negotiations between Iran and the US taking place in Switzerland.
