At least 54 people have been injured and 18 others reported missing following an explosion at a factory in Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, the country’s Interior Ministry has confirmed.

The blast occurred on Sunday and was caused by a technical malfunction, according to the ministry, which said search and rescue operations were ongoing for those still unaccounted for.

Witnesses reported seeing flames lighting up the night sky and thick smoke rising from the industrial zone, located about 20 kilometres away. The area is home to the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub.

State-owned QatarEnergy said the explosion happened during the restart of operations at the Barzan local gas supply facility, where it triggered a fire.

The incident comes months after Ras Laffan suffered damage during the US-Iran conflict, when Iranian strikes targeted Gulf energy infrastructure, forcing Qatar to suspend LNG production.

Qatar, one of the world’s leading LNG exporters, had earlier warned that previous attacks on its energy facilities would reduce export capacity and require several years of repairs.