The death toll from an explosion that occurred in a hardware store in Al-Raml Al-Janoubi in the Syrian city of Latakia has risen to 15 dead and 18 injured.
The Syrian Civil Defense reported, in a statement on X platform, that rescue teams were able to retrieve the bodies of a woman and her child from under the rubble of the destroyed residential building after midnight, bringing the death toll to 15, including four women and five children. Meanwhile, search and rescue operations are ongoing, and the toll is expected to rise.
The statement noted that the explosion occurred on Saturday in a hardware store located in a four-story building, wounding 18 civilians, including six children. The identities of some of the victims remain unknown, while search efforts continue for those trapped under the rubble, the statement confirmed.
According to Civil Defense sources, the explosion was caused by the detonation of "war remnants" inside the warehouse, while media outlets reported that the cause of the accident was a person attempting to dismantle the remnants inside the store, which led to the disaster.
Rescue teams continue their operations amid the rubble of the destroyed building, trying to find survivors or recover more victims.
