May 31 (Reuters) – At least 55 people were reportedly killed in a blast in Myanmar’s Kaung Tat village, which a rebel army said was caused by the accidental explosion of material stored for use in mining.
The Ta’ang National Liberation Army, which has been engaged in bitter fighting with Myanmar’s military junta and controls the village near the Chinese border, said there had been fatalities, without saying how many.
The BBC and local news outlet Shwe Phee Myay News Agency said at least 55 people had died, including 25 women and 30 men, and that dozens more were wounded.
“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 group said in a statement to Reuters.
It said the explosion that took place at noon local time (0530 GMT), was being investigated and that anyone found responsible would be held accountable. It added relief, healthcare, and rehabilitation for the families affected by the blast would be provided as soon as possible.
(Reporting by Chandni Shah, Rhea Rose Abraham and Devjyot Ghoshal in BengaluruEditing by David Goodman and Barbara Lewis)
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