Dozens killed as explosives depot detonates in rebel-held northern Myanmar, devastating a village near the Chinese border

What happened

A powerful explosion ripped through a village in Namhkam Township, in Myanmar's northern Shan State, on Sunday around midday local time. The blast originated from a storage facility containing commercial explosives and munitions, which the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) — the ethnic armed group that controls the area — said was used for mining and quarrying operations. The TNLA described the detonation as "accidental" and stated that the explosives belonged to its economic department. The exact cause remains under investigation.

Casualties and damage

Rescue workers reported conflicting death tolls, with one citing 46 dead and another 59 dead. A source familiar with the situation told BBC Burma that 25 women and 30 men had died in the village of Kaung Tat. All sources agreed that more than 70 people were injured. Children were among the dead. The explosion damaged numerous residential buildings, with one resident reporting that hundreds of homes were affected, devastating almost an entire neighborhood. Emergency services continued to search for people trapped beneath the rubble, and the Namhkam hospital issued an urgent appeal for blood donations to treat the wounded.

Eyewitness accounts

Residents described scenes of panic and grief in the aftermath. One survivor wrote on social media that many initially believed the blast was an air strike. She described how her phone inadvertently saved her life.

I was sitting in my bedroom eating noodles and looking at my phone. If I had been eating in the kitchen, I probably would not be alive today.

She questioned why a facility containing explosives had been permitted to operate so close to residential areas, saying families of the victims would not be satisfied without a full explanation from the authorities.

The rebel group's response

The TNLA confirmed ownership of the munitions depot and expressed condolences to the victims. The group said the stored commercial explosives were intended for use in a quarry it operates. It announced a thorough investigation into the cause of the blast.

The accidental explosion of stored explosives used in mining and quarrying killed many local villagers.

Broader context

Myanmar has been engulfed in civil war since the military seized power in a coup in February 2021. The armed forces, known as the Tatmadaw, have been fighting a range of pro-democracy resistance groups and powerful ethnic armed organizations, particularly in the country's northeast near the Chinese border and in Rakhine State in the west. The TNLA is one of the most influential ethnic minority armed groups active in Shan State.