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New Delhi, June 1. More than 45 people were killed in a massive explosion in a building in Kaungtup village of Namkham Township in the north-eastern region of Myanmar on Sunday, while more than 70 people are said to be injured. According to rescue workers and independent media reports, explosive materials used for mining operations were stored in the building. According to The Washington Post report, this area is located about three kilometers south of the Chinese border and is under the control of the Tang National Liberation Army. It is an ethnic armed group that has had periodic clashes with Myanmar’s central government.

A rescue worker who arrived at the scene told The Associated Press that 46 bodies had been recovered by Sunday evening, including six children. The number of deaths is expected to increase. The bodies have been sent for cremation. The injured have been admitted to the township hospital and relief and rescue operations are still going on. Another rescue worker from Namkham said more than 100 houses were damaged around the blast site. China’s government TV channel CCTV said that many people have died and were injured in this explosion and many nearby houses have been badly damaged. However, the channel did not give any official numbers of the dead and injured.

According to the report, preliminary investigation revealed that the blast occurred at a place where a large quantity of explosive material used in mining operations was kept. The local administration is providing relief, treatment and rehabilitation assistance to the affected people. The Taung National Liberation Army said in a statement on its Telegram channel that the explosive, called gelignite, was imported by its economic department for use in mining and stone quarries. The investigation into what caused the explosion is ongoing.

Gelignite explosives are commonly used in mining and rock breaking operations, but can become quite unstable and dangerous if stored for long periods of time or improperly. The Taung National Liberation Army is a member of a rebel coalition called the Three Brotherhoods Alliance. The coalition and its allies launched a major campaign against the army in north-eastern Myanmar in late 2023, after which they took control of the Namkham region.

Members of the coalition and other ethnic armed groups have long demanded greater autonomy. In October last year, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army signed a ceasefire agreement with the Myanmar army after talks brokered by China, but tensions between the two sides still persist.