The country that supplies half the world with liquefied gas has suffered its own disaster. A powerful explosion with a subsequent fire struck a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in the industrial city of Ras Laffan in Qatar - 54 people were injured, and the search for 18 missing is still ongoing.

The accident happened on Sunday evening at the Barzan plant, south of the capital Doha. According to the authorities, it was a "technical incident" that occurred during a start-up procedure. The explosion was so powerful it was heard as far away as Doha, and emergency teams brought the fire under control. The Qatari authorities claim there is no leak posing a threat to public safety.

What stays unclear is the bigger picture. QatarEnergy did not specify whether the damage hit the part of the plant that supplies the domestic market with gas, nor is there any information on possible disruptions to exports. And when we talk about Qatar, exports are no small matter - this small country is among the world's biggest suppliers of liquefied gas, including to a Europe still hunting for alternatives to Russian gas.

For a Balkan reader, who feels every energy crisis as a hit on the electricity and heating bill, this is not distant news. Every shutdown of a major gas plant ripples through the whole chain - from world markets to the household bill. For now Qatar claims everything is under control. The question is how much a "technical accident" during start-up may cost - 18 human lives - before anyone asks how it was allowed to happen at all.