Stampede kills three women, injures five children in Umayyad Mosque in Damascus

Authorities are investigating the incident and will hold those responsible accountable, says governor

A person waves a Turkish flag, in the Umayyad Mosque, after Syria's Bashar al-Assad was ousted, in Damascus, Syria, Dec 27, 2024. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

At least three women were killed and five children injured in a stampede in the landmark Umayyad Mosque in Damascus on Friday, the Syrian civil defence said.

The children suffered fractures, severe bruises and fainting, said the civil defence in a statement.

Authorities were investigating to determine the causes of the incident and will hold those responsible accountable, Damascus Governor Maher Marwan told the Syrian state news agency (SANA).

"We are working to take urgent measures to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in public places in the future," SANA quoted him as saying.

Syria's new rulers seized control of Damascus on Dec 8, forcing President Bashar al-Assad to flee after more than 13 years of civil war and ending his family's decades-long rule.