A helicopter belonging to the Saudi Arabian oil giant Aramco crashed early on Sunday morning in Ras Tanura, located on the eastern coast of the nation. The incident, which occurred west of the Strait of Hormuz, was confirmed by the state news agency of Saudi Arabia. According to official reports, the aircraft went down at approximately 6 a.m. local time, several hours before information regarding the disaster began to circulate.
Authorities have confirmed that there were no survivors in the accident. All 14 individuals on board the helicopter were Saudi nationals. In response to the tragedy, the Saudi Press Agency reported that relevant authorities have initiated comprehensive investigations to ascertain the precise factors that caused the helicopter to crash, citing information from an unnamed official within the Energy Ministry.
This incident follows the recent resumption of oil loading activities by the company at the Ras Tanura site this past Friday. These operations had been stagnant for several months due to significant blockages within the Strait of Hormuz and the broader tensions stemming from the conflict between the United States and Iran. The facility had only recently begun trying to capitalize on a preliminary, albeit fragile, agreement between the two nations.
Aramco is widely recognized as the world’s largest oil company and remains majority-owned by the Saudi Arabian government. As of now, the exact cause of the crash remains unclear, and officials continue to examine the scene as part of the ongoing investigation into the deaths of the 14 passengers.
