14 killed in Aramco helicopter crash
Saudi Arabia has confirmed that an Aramco helicopter crashed near Ras Tanura on Saudi Arabia’s eastern Gulf coast on Sunday morning, killing all 14 passengers on board.
The helicopter went down at around 6 am local time, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The cause of the crash remains unknown.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy said investigations are underway to determine the circumstances that led to the crash.
“The relevant authorities have launched a full investigation to determine the cause of the crash,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry also extended condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.
Several Gulf countries expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, conveying their sympathies with the families of the victims.
The incident comes just two days after Aramco began loading crude oil from the export terminal in the Ras Tanura refinery on 26 June, which was shut for nearly four months.
In March, Aramco had paused operations at the site as a precautionary measure after it was hit in a drone attack as part of the US-Iran conflict.
Located on the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia, the Ras Tanura complex is home to one of the region’s largest refineries, with a processing capacity of around 550,000 bpd.
The facility also serves as one of Saudi Arabia’s most important crude export terminals.
It is one of Aramco’s oldest and largest refining facilities and plays a key role in the country’s domestic refining operations and global crude exports.
