Warehouse explosion in northwestern Syria kills at least 4

SARMADA, Syria (AP) — At least four people were killed and 10 others were wounded on Wednesday in an explosion at a weapons warehouse in northwestern Syria , according to state media.

The cause of the blast near the town of Sarmada, in Idlib province, was not immediately clear. Such incidents are a relatively common occurrence in the country which has been battered by over a decade of war.

The warehouse was used to store weapons and munitions left over from country's uprising and civil war from 2011 until 2024, the state-run SANA news agency said, citing the Defense Ministry, without providing further details.

Civil Defense and Syrian Red Crescent first-responders are continuing to search for survivors trapped under the rubble. A photographer for The Associated Press at the scene saw bodies being recovered.

Video footage widely circulated after the blast showed a large plume of black smoke, while the sounds of smaller explosions could be heard.