Helicopter Crash Kills All 14 People on Board

A helicopter crash in Saudi Arabia has killed all 14 people on board, including a young man who was reportedly just 50 days away from his summer wedding.

The aircraft, owned by Saudi Arabia’s national oil company Aramco, went down around 6 a.m. local time on Sunday, June 28, in Ras Tanura, a major oil hub on the country’s eastern coast, according to Saudi state media.

Officials confirmed that everyone on board was killed. All 14 victims were Saudi nationals.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, with authorities working to determine what went wrong in the deadly early-morning disaster.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy offered its “deepest condolences and sincere sympathies” to the families of those who died, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Among the victims was Moath Al-Zahrani, whose death has left relatives shattered. Local outlet the Saudi Gazette reported that Al-Zahrani was preparing to get married just 50 days after the crash.

His uncle, Samir Al-Bushairi, paid tribute to him, saying, “He was one of the finest young men in the family.”

The tragedy unfolded in Ras Tanura, home to one of the largest oil refineries in the Middle East and a key part of Saudi Aramco’s massive energy operations. The city sits along the Arabian Gulf and plays a major role in the kingdom’s oil exports.

The crash also comes at a sensitive time for the region. According to Reuters, Aramco had only recently resumed crude oil loading at Ras Tanura after operations were reportedly disrupted for months because of instability in the area.

The company resumed work after the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding earlier in June, with Iran agreeing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Financial Times.

Aramco has not yet publicly responded to all questions surrounding the crash.

The Saudi helicopter disaster is the latest in a string of deadly helicopter accidents that have made headlines in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, six people were killed in Brazil after two helicopters crashed, with American singer Oliver Tree and Argentine YouTuber Gaspi later identified among the victims.

In another recent tragedy, a helicopter carrying newlyweds to their honeymoon crashed just minutes after takeoff in the U.S., killing the groom and injuring the bride.

Now, another family is grieving a future that was cut short — one that was supposed to include a wedding, not a funeral.