Prince Mansour, the deputy governor of Asir province, and seven officials boarded a helicopter to follow up on coastal projects west of the city of Abha on Sunday morning, the Interior Ministry’s security spokesman said.

While he and the officials were returning home early in the evening, contact with the helicopter was lost in the vicinity of the Reda reserve. The ministry later confirmed there were no survivors. Prince Mansour was buried on Tuesday.

However, a report taken up by social media, claimed that the crash which happened hours after dozens of people, including princes, ministers and businessmen were detained in a sweeping anti-graft drive, was not an accident, although it did not back its allegations with any evidence.