Ras Laffan is Qatar's central natural gas hub, employing thousands of engineers, technicians and manual labourers, many of whom are Indians. (Representational image/File)Twelve Indians were among 13 people killed in an explosion at a gas processing facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar on Sunday night.In a statement, Qatar’s Ministry of Interior said the incident was caused by a “technical malfunction” during operations.“Qatari authorities have confirmed that 12 Indian nationals have unfortunately passed away in the Ras Laffan incident yesterday night. We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the departed souls,” the Indian Embassy in Doha said in a post on X on Monday.The identities of the deceased are not known yet. While many of the injured are also Indians, the Embassy said they were “stable”.“Qatari authorities have also confirmed that all those who got injured in the incident are in stable condition and are receiving appropriate medical treatment. Our Embassy is working in close contact with the Qatari authorities to extend all possible help to the Indian nationals and their families affected by this incident, including ensuring that mortal remains of the deceased are sent to India at the earliest,” it said.Confirming the deaths at a press conference in Doha, Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi said: “I find myself today having to do something I have always hoped will never happen, and that is to announce the tragic loss of 13 lives of our people who hold Indian and Pakistani nationalities. Sixty-six people have been reported injured and are receiving medical treatment, none of whom are in life-threatening condition”.“I would like to emphasise that this was an accident and not sabotage or hostile in nature,” he said, according to AP.Story continues below this adThe Indian community is the largest expatriate group in Qatar, with over 830,000 Indian nationals residing and working across various industries. Ras Laffan is Qatar’s central natural gas hub, employing thousands of engineers, technicians and manual labourers, many of whom are Indians.Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More Tags:Qatar