A devastating explosion in the Mediterranean city of Latakia, Syria, has resulted in the deaths of at least 16 individuals, civil defense officials reported on Sunday. The blast occurred on Saturday when a scrap dealer reportedly mishandled an old bomb while attempting to recover metal from the device. The powerful explosion leveled a four-story building, trapping numerous residents beneath the debris.
Rescue operations were underway throughout the night as officials worked diligently to recover bodies from the wreckage. Among the deceased, five were children, and at least 18 others sustained injuries in the incident. The civil defense team confirmed the grim toll, stating that the explosion originated from a hardware store within the apartment complex.
Images shared by Syria’s state news agency, SANA, depicted a thick plume of smoke rising from the southern neighborhood of Al-Rimal in Latakia, now marked by substantial destruction. Rescue workers faced the daunting task of searching through the rubble as bystanders gathered to assist and to look for survivors.
Witnesses described the chaos following the blast. According to resident Ward Jammoul, 32, the sound of the explosion was deafening, and she observed as the building was “completely destroyed.” Efforts to uncover those trapped continued amid the shouts and cries for help.
The incident underlines the ongoing dangers associated with unexploded munitions left from Syria’s protracted civil war, which erupted in 2011. In recent statements, the aid organization Humanity and Inclusion emphasized the peril posed by these remnants, estimating that between 100,000 and 300,000 of the one million munitions deployed during the conflict remain unexploded.
The timing of this tragedy coincides with the commemoration of the 14th anniversary of the Syrian uprising, which began with peaceful protests against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime on March 15, 2011. Following the government’s violent crackdown on demonstrators, the situation escalated into a full-scale civil war. This year’s observance is particularly poignant following the ousting of Assad on December 8 by Islamist-led forces, with Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), proclaiming himself interim president.
