RAS TANURA: A helicopter belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco crashed in Ras Tanura on Saudi Arabia’s eastern coast, west of the Strait of Hormuz, killing 14 Saudi nationals, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.
The cause of the crash remains unknown. The Saudi Press Agency said investigations are under way, with the participation of the relevant authorities, to determine the circumstances and cause of the incident.
The crash comes just days after Aramco resumed crude oil loadings on Friday at its Ras Tanura terminal on the Gulf. Operations at the terminal had been suspended for nearly four months due to the US-Israel war on Iran.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, has been among the regional producers moving quickly to increase shipments after Middle Eastern countries ramped up oil and gas output and exports ahead of an interim agreement aimed at halting the war.