India news: Bodies of four Indians killed in Qatar gas blast repatriated

Dharvi Vaid

Published June 26, 2026last updated June 26, 2026Qatar has returned the bodies of four of the 12 Indian nationals who died in one its deadliest gas industry accidents in over two decades. DW has the latest.

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The remains of four Indian nationals killed in Qatar's Ras Laffan gas explosion have been sent to India

Muslims in India are observing Ashura

'Cockroach' movement founder Abhijeet Dipke has claimed that BJP workers attacked reporters at protest site

Here are the latest developments from India on Friday, June 26

Skip next section Modi sends birthday wishes to education minister amid public ire June 26, 2026

Modi sends birthday wishes to education minister amid public ire

Amid the "Cockroach" protests, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent birthday greetings to Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday.

"He is making commendable efforts towards the implementation of the National Education Policy, which seeks to make India a hub for knowledge, learning and innovation," Modi praised Pradhan in a post on X.

The protest-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) had previously given the Modi government an ultimatum saying that either Pradhan should resign "respectfully" or the prime minister should "sack him."

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Skip next section CJP's Abhijeet Dipke alleges assault by BJP workers June 26, 2026

CJP's Abhijeet Dipke alleges assault by BJP workers

The founder of India's viral Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has alleged that workers from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) physically assaulted reporters at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, where the movement has been holding a sit-in protest calling for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

"BJP goons physically assaulting reporters and people at Jantar Mantar," Abhijeet Dipke wrote on X on Friday.

He shared a video purportedly from the protest site, in which Delhi police officials are seen and a voice is heard saying in Hindi: "Our CJP members have been slapped and the Delhi Police is just watching."

The footage does not show visuals of an assault.

There has been no statement from the BJP on the allegations,

Since June 20, the CJP has been leading an indefinite sit-in demonstration in the national capital over its long-standing demand that Pradhan step down following a flurry of following exam paper leaks and cancellations.

Dipke founded the satirical political movement in May after India's Chief Justice Surya Kant reportedly likened some unemployed young people to "cockroaches" and "parasites."

The parody party quickly became an online sensation, striking a cord among India's discontented youth.

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Skip next section Four bodies from Qatar gas explosion repatriated to India, say officials June 26, 2026

Four bodies from Qatar gas explosion repatriated to India, say officials

The mortal remains of four Indian victims of last week's deadly explosion at Qatar's Ras Laffan industrial hub have been repatriated, the Indian Embassy in Doha said.

A total of 12 Indian nationals were among the 13 people killed in a blast at the Barzan gas processing facility on June 21.

Qatari authorities said 66 people were also injured in what they described as a "technical accident".

The Embassy said in its statement that it was hoping to repatriate the remaining bodies to India soon and was in touch with families of the deceased.

It added that it was also in touch with the Indian nationals who were wounded in the incident.

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Skip next section Welcome to our coverage

June 26, 2026

Welcome to our coverage

Good morning! This is Dharvi Vaid Dhulia from DW's studio in New Delhi, bringing you our daily round up of all the biggest headlines and events that have got India talking.

It's a sweltering morning in the national capital and my coffee order has more ice than caffeine — for once I am not complaining.

However, a shift in temperatures could be on the horizon. If weather forecasters are right, monsoon rains are closing in on New Delhi and could likely hit the region in the next few days.

Political heat, meanwhile, is soaring in West Bengal over eggs! A prominent Hindu organization has been made in-charge of providing mid-day meals in Kolkata municipal schools. Reports say that the new menu is expected to be vegetarian, meaning eggs —  which have been hailed as a key nutrition component of government school meal programs —  could be out.

In more news, the bodies of four out of 12 Indian nationals killed in an explosion at Qatar's Ras Laffan gas facility have been repatriated.

Stay tuned as we bring you all this and more.

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