Loud blast at Riyadh airport as travellers evacuated, airlines cancel flights
Quick Look
- Emergency services rushed to Riyadh's international airport following a loud blast on Saturday.
- Flights were diverted or cancelled amid a recent surge in missile attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeting the kingdom.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The airport has been targeted twice this week, resulting in four deaths and damage to an aircraft. These incidents occur amidst an escalation of missile strikes by Yemen's Houthi rebels.
More than a dozen ambulances were seen rushing to Riyadh’s international airport and travellers were evacuated from parts of the facility after a loud blast was heard there on Saturday, an eyewitness and people briefed on the matter said.
Saturday’s incident comes amid an escalation of missile strikes by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi on the kingdom. The airport has already been attacked twice this week, leaving four people dead and others wounded, and badly damaging an aircraft.
The Saudi government’s media office and the Saudi civil aviation authority did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the incident.
Flight tracking site flightradar24 showed all flights to Riyadh had either been diverted or cancelled, with only a helicopter hovering over the airport at one point.
Open Questions
- What was the source of the blast?
- Are there any casualties from this specific incident?
