Ras Laffan explosion: Eight more Indian victims' bodies repatriated from Qatar

The mortal remains of eight Indian nationals who lost their lives in the explosion at Qatar's Ras Laffan industrial zone have been repatriated to India, the Indian Embassy in Doha said on Friday. This marks the second phase of the repatriation process following the deadly industrial accident that claimed the lives of 13 workers, including 12 Indians.

The explosion occurred on June 21 at the Barzan Liquefied Natural Gas processing facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City while operations were being resumed after disruptions linked to the recent conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

In a statement posted on X, the Indian Embassy said that eight bodies were brought back to India on June 26, after four mortal remains had been repatriated a day earlier.

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"Mortal remains of 8 Indian nationals who unfortunately passed away in the Ras Laffan accident have been repatriated to India on June 26. Four out of 12 mortal remains had been repatriated on June 25," the Embassy said.

According to earlier confirmation by the Indian Embassy, 12 of the 13 people killed in the incident were Indian nationals. QatarEnergy officials had stated that the remaining victim was a Pakistani citizen.

Indian officials meet injured workers In Qatar

The Indian Embassy also thanked the Qatari authorities, employers and community organisations for their support during the crisis.

Indian Ambassador to Qatar Vipul and embassy officials visited injured workers undergoing treatment in Al Khor and reviewed the assistance being provided to them.

"The Embassy of India, Doha thanks Qatari authorities, Indian community organisations and government authorities in India for their prompt support," the mission said in its statement.

The explosion injured at least 66 people, including several Indian workers employed at the facility operated by QatarEnergy LNG.

Following the tragedy, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express condolences over the deaths of Indian nationals. The Ministry of External Affairs had earlier confirmed that Indian diplomatic channels remained in constant touch with Qatari authorities following the incident.

Migrant worker safety back in focus

The tragedy at Ras Laffan has once again brought to light the reliance of the Gulf economy on the laborers from South Asia. According to the statistics provided by the International Labor Organization, 40 percent of the workers in the Gulf region comprise migrant workers.

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Human rights agencies and international reports have, in previous years, expressed their concern over the working conditions of the laborers in the Gulf region. According to a report by FairSquare, millions of laborers from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka continue to be the lifeline of the Gulf region.

An investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the explosion at Ras Laffan.

FAQs

Q1. How many Indians died in the explosion at Ras Laffan, Qatar?

A total of 12 Indians lost their lives in the explosion at the Ras Laffan industrial complex on June 21.

Q2. What was the cause of the explosion at the Ras Laffan Industrial City?

An explosion took place in the LNG processing unit of Barzan at Ras Laffan while resuming the operations after regional conflict.