Death toll in Syria blast climbs to 69

BEIRUT, Aug 13 (Reuters): The number of people killed when an explosion ripped through a building thought to be storing weapons in rebel-held northwestern Syria has climbed to 69 including 17 children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Monday.

The explosion happened in a residential building in the town of Sarmada in Idlib province near the Turkish border on Sunday. Idlib forms part of the last major rebel stronghold in Syria.

The explosion happened in the town of Sarmada, which is near the Turkish border and north of the provincial capital Idlib city.

Syrian civilians, displaced during the country's seven-year long war, were living in the building which was also used by an arms dealer, the Observatory said.