More than 40 people were killed in northeastern Myanmar on Sunday in an explosion at a building where explosives for mining were reportedly stored.
According to rescue workers, about 70 people have been injured.
The explosion occurred in Kaungtup village in Namkham township, about three kilometers (two miles) south of the Chinese border.
The area is controlled by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), an ethnic rebel group that has fought sporadically against Myanmar’s central government.
Myanmar has been in the grip of civil war since the military seized power in a 2021 coup, ousting the democratic government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Myanmar’s military is facing pro-democracy rebels and ethnic minority armed groups.
What do we know about the eruption?
It is not clear how many people died. Rescue workers were quoted by the Associated Press as saying that 40 to 46 people, including children, were killed. According to AFP sources, the number of casualties ranges from 46 to 59.
Myanmar media outlets, including Shan State-based online news agency Shwe Phi Myai, put the death toll at between 50 and 55.
According to local reports, the blast damaged several residential buildings in the surrounding area.
Rescue workers are continuing the search for people buried under the debris. Namhakam Hospital reported an acute shortage of blood supply to treat the injured.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that the explosion caused several deaths and injuries, as well as serious damage to several residential buildings.
CCTV said that, according to preliminary investigation, the blast occurred at a location where a large quantity of explosives used for mining operations were stored.
What did the rebel group say?
In a statement released on its Telegram channel, the TNLA confirmed that its economic department had stockpiled gelignite for use in mining and stone quarrying sites.
The TNLA expressed sympathy for the victims of the blast and announced a thorough investigation.
While gelignite is widely used in mining and rock blasting, it can become highly unstable over time if stored improperly.
The TNLA rebel is part of the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which is fighting for greater autonomy for ethnic groups. The group controlled the Namhakam region as the coalition and its allies launched a major offensive against the Myanmar military in the northeast in late 2023.
The TNLA signed a ceasefire with the Myanmar army last October after China-brokered talks, but relations remain tense.
Edited by: Carl Sexton
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