Helicopter in fatal crash in Persian Gulf

TT

Updated 14.28 | Published 13.54

A helicopter has crashed at Saudi Arabia's largest oil port in the Persian Gulf. 14 people are reported to have died.

The accident occurred at the coastal town of Ras Tanura - Saudi Arabia's largest oil port just north of Bahrain - at 6am on Sunday morning, according to the kingdom's state-run news agency SPA. It refers to the Saudi Ministry of Energy.

The helicopter belonged to the country's state oil giant Aramco.

SPA's brief report does not state how the accident happened. All 14 victims were reported to have been Saudi citizens.

"Investigations are underway, with the involvement of relevant authorities, to determine the causes of the helicopter crash," it says.

Oil facilities on Saudi Arabia's east coast have been targeted by Iran during the spring war in the region, including refineries in Ras Tanura. On Friday, crude oil loading resumed at the port there after a four-month break due to the war and the situation in the Persian Gulf.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard attacked nearby Bahrain, about 70 kilometers away, with drones and missiles overnight Sunday. Authorities in the small island nation reported extensive damage to an eight-story residential building.