A massive explosion occurred in Kaungtup village of Namkham Township in Myanmar on Sunday afternoon, completely destroying a storage building. More than 45 people died and dozens of others were injured in this blast. The blast occurred around noon, just 3 kilometers south of the Chinese border.
Due to the blast, nearby houses were razed to the ground and the sky was filled with smoke, causing panic and chaos in the entire area. As soon as the information was received, the rescue teams reached the spot and continued the work of removing bodies from the debris till evening.
According to reports, local rescue teams said that at least 46 bodies had been recovered by Sunday night, including six children. These bodies were sent to the mortuary of the hospital. Besides, 74 other injured were immediately rushed to the township hospital, where emergency rescue operations continued. Another rescue worker in Namkham put the death toll at around 40 and said more than 100 houses near the blast site were damaged.
Myanmar’s independent media outlets have put the death toll even higher. Shan State’s Shwe Phi Mya news agency put the figure at between 50 and 55, as well as published photos of collapsed buildings and debris-strewn streets.
This building was used…
It is being told that this building was used to store explosives for mining and stone quarry work. It is noteworthy that Kaungtup area comes under the control of ‘Taang National Liberation Army’ (TNLA). It is an ethnic armed group that has periodically clashed with Myanmar’s central government. TNLA had established its rule over Namkham since late 2023. At the time, the TNLA had joined forces with other rebel forces in a major campaign against the army.