BANGKOK, May 31 (UNIPA News) — At least 55 people, including six children, were killed and many others injured in an accidental explosion of mining explosives in a rebel-held area of northern Myanmar’s Shan State on Sunday, according to the Palaung Self Liberation Front/Ta’ang National Liberation Army (PSLF/TNLA).
In a statement, the PSLF/TNLA said the blast occurred at around 12:30 p.m. local time in Kaung Tat village, Namkham Township, when soft gunpowder stored for mining operations accidentally exploded.
Rescue workers told the Shwe Phee Myay News Agency that the entire village was virtually destroyed by the explosion and that dozens of people sustained injuries. Emergency teams continued search and rescue operations to free victims trapped beneath the rubble.
Local authorities issued an urgent appeal for blood donations to support the treatment of the injured.
According to the PSLF/TNLA, the death toll included 25 females and 30 males. The explosion also damaged a large number of homes in the village.
The group said a detailed investigation would be conducted to determine the cause of the blast and that action would be taken in accordance with the law based on the findings.
The Ta’ang National Liberation Army is one of Myanmar’s major ethnic armed groups fighting for autonomy from the central government. Together with its political ally, the Palaung Self Liberation Front, it forms part of the resistance against the country’s military government.
