A helicopter carrying several Saudi officials, including a high-ranking prince, has crashed in the kingdom’s southwest near the border with Yemen.

Local newspaper Okaz reported the helicopter carrying Prince Mansour bin Muqrin Al Saud, deputy governor of Asir province,  went down while the officials were taking a tour of an area near the coast in Asir, which borders Yemen.

The Saudi-owned news channel Al Arabiya reported that Prince Mansour bin Muqrin died in the crash. Seven other officials were also reportedly killed.

The Saudi interior ministry said in a statement on Monday that the helicopter’s wreckage had been found and an investigation was under way. Therefore, the reports did not elaborate on the cause of the crash.

The crash comes as a Saudi-led coalition accused Yemen’s Houthi militia of a “dangerous escalation,” with Saudi air defence forces having intercepted a ballistic missile fired by the group towards the capital Riyadh the day previously.