A devastating explosion in the Mediterranean city of Latakia, Syria, has claimed the lives of at least 16 people after a suspected old bomb detonated in a residential building. Civil defence officials confirmed the tragic incident on Sunday, reporting that the blast occurred on Saturday when a scrap dealer attempted to handle an unexploded munition in an effort to recover metal.
The explosion resulted in the complete collapse of a four-storey building, crushing residents under massive slabs of concrete. Among the victims were five children. Rescue teams worked tirelessly through the night to recover bodies and search for survivors, with at least 18 individuals reported injured.
Images from Syria’s SANA news agency depicted a massive plume of smoke rising from Al-Rimal, a densely populated neighborhood in southern Latakia. What once stood as a residential structure was reduced to a pile of rubble, illustrating the magnitude of the destruction. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights classified the explosion as an accident.
Ward Jammoul, a 32-year-old resident of Latakia, recounted the terrifying moment when the blast erupted. “I heard a loud explosion,” she told AFP. “The building was completely destroyed, and rescue workers gathered to search for those trapped under the rubble.”
The incident underscores the ongoing dangers posed by unexploded ordnance left behind from Syria’s civil war, which began in 2011. Aid agency Humanity and Inclusion warned last month that an estimated 100,000 to 300,000 munitions from the war remain active, posing significant risks to civilians.
The explosion occurred on the same day that Syrians marked the 14th anniversary of the uprising against former president Bashar al-Assad. The conflict, which started with peaceful demonstrations, spiraled into a prolonged civil war after Assad’s forces cracked down on protesters. This year’s commemoration was the first since Assad was overthrown on December 8, with Islamist-led rebels toppling his regime. Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has since been appointed interim president.
As Syria continues to grapple with the aftermath of its prolonged war, the latest tragedy in Latakia serves as a grim reminder of the lingering threats posed by unexploded weapons, demanding urgent demining efforts to prevent further loss of life.
