Three women died and five children were hurt in a stampede inside the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus on Friday afternoon, January 10, 2025. The Syrian Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets, gave the toll in a statement and called it an initial count.
“A tragedy occurred, with three women dead and five children suffering severe fractures, bruises and fainting,” the statement said. The group put the cause down to overcrowding at an event organised by civilians inside the mosque.
Rescue teams worked with other responders at the scene. They gave first aid to a young girl and brought a woman’s body out of the building, the Civil Defence said.
A crowded Friday
Anadolu Agency, citing its reporter, said a large number of worshippers had come for the weekly Friday prayers. The Umayyad is the biggest mosque in the Syrian capital. Visitor numbers there have risen sharply since Bashar al-Assad’s government fell on December 8, 2024, especially on Fridays.
Assad, who led Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-government groups entered Damascus that day, ending decades of Baath Party rule. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters had taken key cities in an offensive that lasted less than two weeks. A new administration under Ahmed al-Sharaa now runs the country.
Sources
- Stampede at Damascus’ Umayyad Mosque leaves 3 women dead, 5 children injured
- VIDEO – Three women killed, children injured in stampede at Syria’s Umayyad Mosque
