45 killed in Myanmar's Shan state after blast at mining explosive storage facility
At least 45 people were killed and about 70 injured when a building storing mining explosives in the village of Kaungtup, in north-east Myanmar's Shan state, exploded around midday. The area, near the Chinese border, lies in territory controlled by the Ta'ang National Liberation Army.
South China Morning Post · Associated PressAccording to South China Morning Post, the incident at Kaungtup village in Namhkam township in north-east Myanmar took place around midday, according to initial accounts from rescuers and independent media; the building was reported to be storing explosives intended for mining. Located about 3 kilometres south of the border, the area is under the control of the ethnic armed group Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).
Mandalay-based Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre representative Lwin Maung said some of the injured had been transferred to border hospitals in China's Yunnan province; Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said humanitarian coordination is being run at the border crossings. UN Office in Myanmar spokesperson Khun Marlar said a technical assessment team has been dispatched to the site.
Human Rights Watch Asia director Elaine Pearson called for strengthened inspection protocols at explosives storage facilities to prevent civilian casualties. Türkiye's IHH-coordinated humanitarian aid shipments are being transferred via the border into Yangon. This piece is not medical or safety advice.
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