Qatar confirms 6 killed in helicopter crash

Qatar said on Sunday that six people have been confirmed killed in a Qatari helicopter crash in the Persian Gulf nation’s territorial water.

The Interior Ministry said one person is still missing from the crash, which took place the day before.

The Defence Ministry blamed “technical malfunction” for the helicopter crash. The Interior Ministry’s statement didn’t clarify the nationality of the dead or say if they were civilian or military.

Meanwhile, Iran’s attack this week on Qatar’s natural gas export facility threatens to disrupt not just world energy markets but also global technology supply chains because the helium it produces is crucial for a range of advanced industries.

Best known as the gas that makes party balloons float, helium is also a key input in chipmaking, space rockets and medical imaging.