An explosion that occurred this Sunday (31), in a building in northeastern Myanmar, which allegedly stored explosives for mining, killed more than 45 peopleaccording to rescue teams and independent media reports.
Nearly 70 other people were injured in the explosion that occurred around noon (local time) in Kaungtup village, Namhkam municipality.
The area, located about 3 kilometers south of the Chinese border, is under the control of the Ta’ang National Liberation Armyan ethnic armed group that has engaged in sporadic fighting against the central government of Myanmar.
A first responder who worked at the site of the explosion told the Associated Press that 46 bodies, including six childrenwere recovered by Sunday night and taken for cremation.
The rescuer, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said he 74 injured people were taken to hospital municipal and that rescue operations continued.
Another rescuer in Namhkam, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said around 40 people had died and more than 100 houses near the explosion site were damaged.
Myanmar media outlets, including Shan State-based online news agency Shwe Phee Myay, reported death tolls ranging from 50 to 55. They published photos and videos showing smoke from the explosion, damaged buildings and debris in the aftermath.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that the explosion caused several deaths and injuries, with many severely damaged residential homesbut did not release numbers. According to preliminary information, the explosion occurred in a place where large quantities of explosives used in mining operations.
According to the report, local authorities provide aid, medical care and resettlement assistance to affected residents.
The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) stated, in a statement released on its Telegram channel, that gelignite (explosive material) was stored by the group’s economic department for use in mines and quarries, and that an investigation into the cause of the explosion is ongoing.
Gelignite is widely used in mining and rock blasting, but can become highly unstable over time and if stored improperly.
The Ta’ang National Liberation Army is a member of the Alliance of the Three Brotherhoodsa rebel group, and controls the Namhkam region since the alliance and its allies launched a major offensive against the military in northeastern Myanmar in late 2023. Alliance members and other ethnic armed groups have long fought for greater autonomy.
The TNLA signed a ceasefire with the Myanmar military following Chinese-mediated talks in October last year, but relations remain tense.
Myanmar has been plunged into turmoil since the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, 2021, triggering widespread popular opposition.
After peaceful demonstrations were suppressed with lethal force, many opponents of the military regime took up armsand large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict.
