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Doha: The mortal remains of four of the 12 Indian nationals killed in the Ras Laffan Industrial City explosion in Qatar were repatriated to India on Thursday, June 25, the Indian Embassy in Doha said.

In a post on X, the embassy said arrangements were under way to repatriate the remaining victims at the earliest. It added that the families of the deceased and the concerned authorities had been kept informed throughout the process.

The mission thanked the Qatari authorities and Indian community organisations for their support and coordination during the repatriation process. It also said embassy officials remained in touch with Indian nationals injured in the explosion.

Qatari minister pays condolence visit

On Wednesday, June 24, the Indian Embassy said in a post on X that Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs and President and CEO of QatarEnergy, Saad bin Saud Al-Kaabi, visited the mission to offer condolences over the deaths of the 12 Indian nationals.

The embassy said Ambassador Vipul received Al-Kaabi and thanked him for the support extended by the Qatari authorities to the victims’ families and others affected by the tragedy.

Indian leaders express grief

On Tuesday, June 23, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X that he had thanked the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, for his phone call and condolences following the deaths of the Indian nationals.

Modi said India and Qatar shared the grief of the bereaved families, prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured and reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to the safety and wellbeing of their citizens.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also said in a post on X that the Indian Embassy was coordinating closely with Qatari authorities and extending assistance to the affected families. He expressed condolences to the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

What happened at Ras Laffan

The explosion occurred at around 10:30 pm on Sunday, June 21, at the Barzan local gas supply facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar’s main energy hub.

According to Qatari authorities, the blast killed 13 people and injured 66 others. The Indian Embassy later confirmed that 12 of those who died were Indian nationals.

Officials described the incident as an industrial accident and said it did not affect Qatar’s liquefied natural gas export operations. A technical investigation into the cause of the explosion remains under way.