Massive explosion at rebel-held mining explosives depot in northeastern Myanmar kills at least 46, injures over 70

What happened

A devastating explosion occurred around noon local time on Sunday in Kaung Tat village, located in Namhkam township in Myanmar's northeastern Shan State. The blast originated from a building used to store commercial explosives intended for mining and quarrying operations. Rescue workers and local media reported that at least 46 bodies had been recovered, including at least six children, while other sources put the death toll as high as 55. Approximately 70 to 74 people were injured, and around 100 nearby houses were severely damaged or destroyed.

The wounded urgently need blood. The explosion destroyed a large part of the village. People need shelter and food, and residents from neighboring villages are helping those affected.

The aftermath

Rescue workers continued searching for survivors trapped under the rubble in the hours following the blast. The hospital in the nearby town of Namhkam reported an acute shortage of blood supplies needed to treat the wounded. All recovered bodies were taken for cremation. Local relief organizations and authorities began providing medical care, food, and resettlement assistance to affected residents.

By pure luck, my phone saved my life. I was sitting in my room eating noodles and looking at my phone. If I had been eating in the kitchen, I probably wouldn't be here to talk about it today.

The cause

According to the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the ethnic armed group that controls the area, the explosion was accidental. The group stated on its Telegram channel that gelignite — a blasting material widely used in mining and rock operations that can become highly unstable if stored improperly — had been kept in the building by its economic department for use in mining and stone quarrying sites. The TNLA announced that an investigation into the exact cause of the explosion is underway and that anyone found responsible would be held accountable.

The Palaung State Liberation Front/TNLA expresses its deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, were injured, and suffered damage as a result of the explosion.

The context

The village is situated approximately 3 kilometers south of the Chinese border, in territory controlled by the TNLA. The group is one of Myanmar's most powerful ethnic minority armed organizations and a member of the Three Brotherhood Alliance. It has been engaged in sporadic conflict with Myanmar's central government, though it signed a ceasefire with the military junta following China-mediated talks in October 2025. Relations between the parties remain tense. Myanmar has been gripped by civil war since the military seized power in a February 2021 coup, ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Witness accounts

Residents described scenes of devastation, chaos, and grief. Many initially believed the explosion was caused by an airstrike. One woman who survived with a minor leg injury recounted how her home was destroyed, while people around her cried out for their parents. "It seemed like the world had ended," she said. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that the blast caused multiple deaths and injuries and severely damaged many residential houses, though it did not provide specific figures.