Explosion leaves 39 dead, dozens injured, in northern Shan State

At least 39 people are confirmed dead and 78 others injured following a massive blast at an explosives-processing site in northern Shan State’s Namkham Township, local rescue workers said on Monday. The blast occurred at around noon on Sunday in Kaung Tat, a village just a few miles from the Chinese border. Rescue operations were still ongoing as of Monday afternoon amid fears that more bodies could remain trapped beneath collapsed buildings. “We are continuing search operations. We have confirmed 39 deaths so far,” a member of a local rescue team told Myanmar Now. “We are still searching to see whether there are more victims buried under destroyed houses.” The death toll rose from 38 reported on Sunday night after another victim died from injuries on Monday, rescuers said. Among the dead were six children and around 20 women, according to local sources. Most of the injured were taken to Namkham Hospital, while two critically wounded victims were expected to be transferred to a hospital in Ruili, China. Kaung Tat, a village of around 200 households, suffered extensive destruction in the explosion. Residents said more than 70 houses were almost completely destroyed. “Concrete buildings were reduced to piles of rubble. That’s how powerful the blast was,” said one female resident. “Many families in the village have lost both their homes and family members. Our own house was also badly damaged.” Local residents said the site where the explosion occurred had been used for explosives-grinding operations led by several Chinese nationals for more than three months. “Villagers complained to the village administrator because of the smell of explosives,” a local resident said. “Even the administrator was reportedly denied access to the site. They were operating inside someone else’s plantation. There were around 50 workers on rotating shifts, and workers were brought in from other areas.” Rumours circulated that Chinese nationals were among the dead, but rescue workers said they had not yet been able to independently confirm the reports. The sound of the explosion could be heard across the border in Ruili, prompting authorities there to urge residents not to panic, China’s state-run Global Times reported on Sunday. Residents were also warned against spreading “false information.” Chinese authorities said fire and emergency response teams had been dispatched, although local rescue groups on the Myanmar side said they had not seen Chinese rescue teams crossing into the area. The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), which captured Namkham in late 2023 as part of Operation 1027, acknowledged that the explosives involved in the blast belonged to its economic department and had been stored for use in quarrying operations. The group said it was conducting an investigation into the incident and pledged legal action against those found responsible. Sources close to the TNLA said the explosives were commonly used in gold mining, mineral extraction, and stone-quarrying operations. The incident has triggered criticism among local residents over the storage of dangerous explosive materials inside a densely populated village. The Ta’ang Land Council, a local civil society body, issued a statement on Monday calling on leaders of the TNLA and its political wing, the Palaung State Liberation Front, to take responsibility, investigate the civilian deaths, prosecute those involved according to the law, and urgently begin rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts for affected residents.

Explosion leaves 39 dead, dozens injured, in northern Shan State

The blast, in TNLA-held Namkham Township, was blamed on explosives used by the group in mining operations

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