Saudi Aramco helicopter crash in Ras Tanura kills 14 on board, authorities investigate

Ras Tanura hosts the largest refinery in the Middle East, and it is operated by Saudi Aramco, who own the helicopter involved in the incident.

Saudi Arabian media report that the helicopter crashed in Ras Tanura on the country's eastern coast early on Sunday. It said that all 14 Saudi nationals on board were killed, and the cause of the crash was unclear.

A helicopter crash in Saudi Arabia killed 14 Saudi citizens on Sunday, the kingdom’s official press agency reported, adding that the aircraft belonged to state oil giant Aramco. The Saudi Press Agency, citing an official at the energy ministry, reported the helicopter crashed in Ras Tanura in the country’s east. “The accident claimed the lives of all 14 passengers, all Saudi citizens,” the agency said, adding that an investigation was under way to determine the cause of the crash. The incident took place at 6am local time (0300 GMT), the state news agency said. Aramco says it operates more than 60 aircraft, including helicopters, serving more than 300 heliports in Saudi Arabia, making it one of the largest corporate fleets in the region. The deadly accident comes as oil-rich Gulf nations seek to ramp up their output following Iranian attacks and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the export of oil and gas. The Gulf monarchy did not indicate the incident was in any way connected to a hostile attack. During the Middle East war, Iranian attacks had targeted energy facilities in the Gulf. Ras Tanura is home to one of the largest refineries in the Middle East, with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day, and is critical to Saudi Arabia’s energy sector. Aramco had resumed crude oil loadings on Friday at its Ras Tanura terminal in the Gulf after they were halted for nearly four months. The refinery has been targeted several times, notably during a drone attack at the beginning of the conflict, which caused a fire and forced a partial shutdown. Riyadh said in April that the weeks-long attacks had disrupted several production operations at key facilities, with refineries in Ras Tanura as well as Jubail, Yanbu and Riyadh targeted. Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading crude exporter, produces a little over 10 million bpd. Additional Input from Reuters.

A helicopter operated by Saudi Aramco crashed Sunday in the Saudi city of Ras Tanura, killing all 14 passengers on board, the state-owned SPA news agency reported.

Investigations are ‌under way, the state news agency said.