There were more than 300 trucks parked at the gate, which is Myanmar’s busiest point of entry into China, at the time of the incident. The gate is heavily manned by junta troops for security.
A Muse resident said the fire started after a heavy artillery shell hit an oil tanker.
“We could see the smoke from where we were. From what I heard, the shell fell directly on the oil tankers, so everything around them also caught on fire,” he said.
Conflict has been raging in northern Shan State since late last month, when the Brotherhood Alliance launched a coordinated offensive against the military that has seen most border trade routes closed.
“I can hear it from Muse all day, every day. I think they shoot more at night. It’s still possible to live in town. It’s happening outside of town,” said a resident, adding that the regime has been using planes and helicopters to drop food at the town’s football field.
Myanmar and China have five official border crossings along their shared 1,300-mile border. Due to the current conflict, Mongla is the only one in Shan State still in use.
