Hama Blast Leaves 70 People Dead [Caught On Video]

Hama on Wednesday morning was rocked by a massive explosion that killed upwards of 70 people.

The explosion which leveled buildings and other surrounding structures was first reported by Syrian state media to have killed 16 civilians, however that count by other reports has reached upwards of 70 people including 13 children and 15 women.

On one side of explosion the rebel army says the explosion occurred because of government shelling, while the Syrian government claims the explosion was the result of a rebel bomb-making factory.

A correspondent with the BBC claims that the level of destruction witnessed is too much for traditional shelling, although activists haven’t ruled out the use of a Scud missile.

In the meantime activists are urging the United Nations to visit the scene of the explosion to investigate the cause of the attack, calling for an emergency UN Security Council meeting to discuss the attack.

News of the attack quickly spread and in the midst of the explosion amateur footage has surfaced which shows white and yellow smoke rising from a neighborhood surrounded by fields.

In the video dozens of people search through the debris for survivors and at one point a small child’s body is pulled from the rubble.

Here’s an amateur video of the event (some viewers may find this footage shocking):

[iframe src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/9azBycyp89o” width=”560? height=”315?]

Fighting in recent months throughout Syria has led to the death of more than 9,000 people, many of whom were innocent bystanders. Kofi Annan in the meantime has called for a cease-fire until both sides can agree on a better plan of action in resolving their disputes.