Saudi Aramco helicopter crashes in Ras Tanura killing 14 nationals
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The news: An helicopter operated by Saudi Aramco crashed on Sunday in Ras Tanura on Saudi Arabia’s eastern Gulf coast, killing all 14 people on board, the Saudi Press Agency reported, citing the energy ministry.
The crash took place at 6am local time (1:00pm AEST), the state news agency said, adding that the cause was unknown and relevant authorities had launched a full investigation. All 14 victims were Saudi nationals, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Aramco has not commented at time of writing.
The context: The crash came during a weekend when tensions rose in the Middle East, as the US and Iran attacked each other’s military infrastructure, strained a recent interim peace deal.
Ras Tanura, on Saudi Arabia’s Persian Gulf coast, is at the centre of the kingdom’s energy industry, hosting the country’s biggest refinery and critical oil export infrastructure.
Aramco had resumed crude oil loadings on Friday at its Ras Tanura terminal after they were halted for nearly four months, Reuters reported. It was not immediately clear whether Sunday’s incident affected any energy facilities.
The sources: Saudi Press Agency, Reuters, Bloomberg
