Gas explosion kills 28 in Saudi Arabia

An explosion on a gas pipeline has killed 28 workers in eastern Saudi Arabia, the Saudi national oil company Aramco said today.

“The fire broke out while contractor workers where linking a new pipe” to the pipeline during maintenance late Saturday, Aramco said in a statement.

It said 28 workers, including five Aramco employees, had died in the fire, which was put out early today some 30km from its Hawiyah gas plant.