A massive explosion has occurred at the international airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, leaving many people injured.
Following the incident on Saturday, passengers were evacuated from several sections of the airport.
News agency Reuters reported this information, citing two eyewitnesses and two other individuals familiar with the matter.
One eyewitness reported seeing the explosion occur inside the airport and subsequently seeing several injured people lying on the floor. More than a dozen ambulances were seen rushing toward the airport.
However, the Saudi government’s media office and the country’s civil aviation authority did not immediately comment on the incident.
This event comes amidst an escalation in missile attacks on Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The airport had already been targeted twice earlier this week.
Those attacks resulted in four deaths and several injuries, while an aircraft sustained severe damage.
According to data from the flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, all flights bound for Riyadh have been diverted or cancelled.
Airport authorities have advised passengers to contact their respective airlines directly and check the latest flight status before heading to the airport.
Kuwait Airways announced the cancellation of all flights to and from the Saudi capital, as Riyadh airport remains closed due to the security situation.
Earlier, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways also cancelled several flights to Riyadh from their respective hubs.
