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Bahrain expressed solidarity with Qatar following an explosion in Ras Laffan Industrial City that killed 13 and injured 66 on June 21, the Gulf Times reported on June 23. The Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed deepest condolences to the victims’ families and confidence in Qatari authorities’ handling of the incident at the Barzan facility, which Qatar’s energy minister attributed to a technical malfunction during a post-maintenance restart.
Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs extended sympathies to the families of the victims in its statement and wished for their swift recovery. The kingdom affirmed its full support for Qatar and its people in the aftermath of the tragedy. Initial reports from Qatar’s Interior Ministry on the evening of June 21 had indicated no injuries before updated figures confirmed the scale of casualties.
Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi detailed the sequence of events in a press briefing. He stressed that the explosion was an accident and not the result of sabotage or any hostile act. Al-Kaabi noted that the Barzan plant had been intentionally shut down since December 2025 for urgent maintenance and restarted only two days prior to the incident.
Reuters reported that the fatalities included Indian and Pakistani nationals among the 13 killed with 66 others injured in the blast and ensuing fire at the facility. Al-Kaabi stated that QatarEnergy has initiated a full investigation into the technical causes while confirming no hazardous leaks or environmental risks arose. The minister added that “QatarEnergy LNG facilities, Ras Laffan port and other logistical operations in Ras Laffan remain unaffected as a result of this explosion and fire and that will not affect in any way our export capabilities.”
The Ras Laffan Industrial City ranks among the world’s largest liquefied natural gas hubs and the incident counts as one of the deadliest gas industry accidents in more than two decades according to Reuters. Qatari authorities deployed search and rescue teams including the Internal Security Force to the site immediately after the blast which occurred around 10:30 p.m. local time on June 21. Production at the specific Barzan local gas supply unit had been halted for maintenance but other operations across the complex continued without interruption.
Similar expressions of support arrived from neighboring states including the United Arab Emirates whose Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed solidarity with Qatar’s government and people while wishing injured parties a speedy recovery. The Bahraini statement aligns with a pattern of mutual assistance among Gulf Cooperation Council members during industrial incidents. Officials continue to monitor the situation as the investigation proceeds and support for affected families is coordinated.
