A powerful one burst this Sunday shook the village of Kaung Tat, in the northeast of Myanmarcausing a tragedy that left between 46 and 59 deadaccording to different sources, including several children.
The explosion, followed by a dense column of black smoke, it would have been accidental and it occurred in a building where explosives intended for mining activities were stored.
The images of the moment after the explosion, which circulated on social networks in the last few hours, first show a huge column of smoke and then the site of the explosion in ruins.
Rescue teams and authorities reported some 70 injuredwhile near a hundred homes suffered serious damage.
The authorities opened an investigation to determine the exact causes of the incident and do not rule out that there are still people trapped under the rubble.
A devastating scene
Local residents described scenes of devastation, confusion and despair to the BBC. Many initially believed it was an aerial bombardment.
«By pure luck, my phone saved my life»said a survivor on social networks. «I was sitting in my room eating spaghetti and looking at my phone. If I had been eating in the kitchen, I probably wouldn’t be here today to tell the story.»
The woman suffered a minor injury to her leg, although her home was destroyed. «People were crying and calling for their parents. It seemed like the world had ended«he added.
The area where the explosion occurred, close to the border with China, is under the control of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA)an insurgent organization that for years has maintained sporadic clashes with the central government of Myanmar in demand of greater political and administrative autonomy.
Although the group signed a ceasefire with the Burmese military following Chinese-brokered negotiations in October last year, relations between the two sides remain tense.
In a statement released through Telegram, the TNLA explained that the gelignite stored in the destroyed building was used in mining and extraction operations. This explosive, widely used for rock fragmentation, can become extremely unstable if not kept in adequate conditions.
The tragedy occurs in a context of deep instability in Myanmarwhere internal conflict has intensified since the military coup of February 1, 2021 that overthrew the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
After the repression of peaceful protests against the military junta, numerous opposition groups took up arms, giving way to an internal war that affects large regions of the country and continues to have a high cost for the civilian population.
With information from ANSA
