At least 14 people were killed after a helicopter belonging to Saudi oil giant Saudi Aramco crashed in the eastern Saudi city of Ras Tanura on Sunday, Reuters reported citing state news agency cited by .
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The crash occurred at around 6 am local time and killed all those on board, the Saudi ministry of energy said. All of the victims were Saudi nationals, it added.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known, and authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, the state news agency reported.
The helicopter belonged to Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil company by production and market value and the majority state-owned energy giant of Saudi Arabia.
Ras Tanura, located on Saudi Arabia's Gulf coast, is home to one of the world's largest oil refineries and export terminals, making it a critical hub for the kingdom's crude oil exports.
The incident comes at a time when Aramco has been navigating disruptions to global energy markets caused by the Iran conflict.
The company recently said it had diverted some oil exports through pipeline networks to reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping traffic has been affected by the conflict.
More details awaited.
