Qatar says 13 killed, 66 injured in factory blast

At least 13 workers were killed and 66 others injured after an explosion at a factory in Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, the Qatari minister of state for energy affairs said Monday.

Saad bin Sherida Al-Kaabi told a news conference that the casualties were caused by the incident at the industrial complex, revising an earlier toll provided by the Interior Ministry.

Al-Kaabi said the incident was operational and technical in nature, “not an act of sabotage,” adding that a fire caused by the blast had been brought under control.

He said the explosion had no impact on liquefied natural gas (LNG) export operations, main facilities, or Ras Laffan Port.

The Interior Ministry said early Monday that 54 people had been injured and 18 others were missing following the explosion.

Civil defense teams along with the Qatari International Search and Rescue Group launched operations to locate those unaccounted for, the ministry said

Authorities had also said that no leak posing a threat to public safety had been recorded following the blast.

Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry expressed its condolences Monday to Qatar following the deadly explosion.

In a statement, the ministry said Ankara was "deeply saddened" by the loss of life resulting from the blast

"We extend our condolences to the families of the deceased and to the people of Qatar, and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," it said.

*Diyar Guldogan from Washington, DC contributed to this report