In a tragic incident, at least 16 people were killed after an exploded bomb from Syria’s 13 year old civil war exploded in the coastal city of Latakia injuring 18 people, the Syrian Civil Defense said on Sunday, reported Associated Press.
According to a paramedic group the White Helmets, the debris was searched overnight and the group recovered 16 bodies which included five women and five children, and that 18 others were injured.
White Helmets group further added that the explosion took place at the ground floor of the four storey building and it was a metal scrap storage space. The explosion destroyed the building and the residents were trapped beneath the debris.
In a post on Telegram, the White Helmet said “Search and rescue operations continue to recover those trapped.”
The group shared a video on social media which showed the emergency personnel rescuing the survivors from the debris. They were eventually taken to a nearby hospital.
According to a report by the United Nations in February, at least 100 people have been killed from exploding ordnance in the last 13 years in Syria.
The report added that since the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar al Assad in December, about 1,400 unexploded devices across Syria have been safely disposed of and 138 minefields and contaminated areas identified in Idleb, Aleppo, Hama, Deir-ez-Zor and Lattakia, AP reported.
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As Syria recently witnessed widespread violence, Latakia, a key port city, and Syria’s coastal province where the bomb exploded, also witnessed violence after gunmen loyal to Assad attacked a security patrol. The clashes and revenge killings in Syria led to the deaths of over 1,000 people.
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