Saudi Arabia Jazan
The helicopter crashed near the Saudi border with Yemen Google Maps

A helicopter carrying 8 high-ranking officials has crashed, near the border with Yemen.

Crown Prince Mansour bin-Muqrin, deputy Emir of Asir province, was among those on the helicopter.

More from IBTimes UK

The crash site is near Abha, in the south of The Kingdom, near the border with Yemen Saudi state TV Ekhbariya reported.

Local newspaper Okaz reported the helicopter went down while the officials were taking a tour of an area near the coast in Asir,

Search parties have been deployed to the region, however all passengers on the helicopter are believed to have been killed.

The cause of the crash has not yet been established.

The incident comes a day after a Saudi-led coalition accused Yemen's Houthi militia of a "dangerous escalation," after Saudi air defence forces having intercepted a ballistic missile fired by the group towards the capital Riyadh.