Damascus Car Blasts Death Toll Climbs to 54

At least 54 people died on Wednesday and many more were injured when two bombs exploded in the south-east of the Syrian capital, Damascus, according to UK-based Syrian activists.

The death toll mounted as the day wore on, with the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights initially giving tallies of 20, and then 29 and 38.

Activists and locals have reported that most of the casualties were killed when a suicide bomber exploded the second car.

The blasts come the day after British-based Syrian activists said government fighter planes had killed "tens of people" when they bombed an olive factory in the north-west of the country.