Blast in Syria coastal city kills three: state media

A blast in the coastal city of Latakia killed at least three people and wounded 12 others on Saturday, according to state media.

The explosion occurred in the Al-Rimal neighborhood, SANA news agency reported, citing provincial authorities. Rescue efforts were underway, with civil defense teams and residents searching for the injured and missing.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, described the blast as an "accident", saying it was caused by a resident attempting to dismantle unexploded ordnance inside a building.

A resident, Ward Jammoul, 32, told AFP that she heard a "loud blast" and rushed to the scene, where she found a "completely destroyed building". She described civil defense personnel, ambulances, and a crowd of people searching for survivors.

Lingering threat of unexploded munitions

A recent report by the non-governmental organization Humanity and Inclusion warned of the dangers posed by unexploded ordnance left from Syria’s civil war, which began in 2011.

Experts estimate that between 100,000 and 300,000 of the one million munitions used during the war never detonated, posing a long-term hazard to civilians.

An image released by SANA showed a large plume of smoke rising over the densely populated area.