Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Fourteen Saudi nationals were killed on Sunday after a helicopter operated by state-owned energy giant Saudi Aramco crashed near Ras Tanura on the Kingdom’s eastern coast, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Citing a Saudi Ministry of Energy official, SPA reported that the helicopter went down at approximately 6:00 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) in Ras Tanura, home to the world’s largest offshore oil-loading terminal and one of Saudi Arabia’s most strategically important oil refining hubs. All 14 people on board were killed in the crash.
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The Ministry of Energy confirmed that an investigation has been launched in coordination with the relevant authorities to determine the cause of the accident. Officials have not disclosed the purpose of the flight.
Saudi Aramco had not issued an official statement on the incident at the time of publication.
The crash comes months after the Ras Tanura energy complex was temporarily affected by Iranian drone and missile attacks, which disrupted operations at the strategic facility. According to media reports, Aramco resumed crude oil shipments from the terminal only two days ago following a disruption that lasted nearly four months.
Authorities are continuing their investigation, and further details are expected as the inquiry progresses.
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