Scores feared dead, injured in blast at explosives depot near UWSA headquarters

A blast at an explosives storage facility in a village near Panghsang, the headquarters of the United Wa State Army (UWSA), has left dozens of people dead and injured, according to local residents. The incident occurred at around 4pm on Tuesday in Yaong Pang, a village located in the Wa Self-Administered Division, a UWSA-controlled region along Myanmar’s border with China. Residents said the explosion, believed to have originated at a gunpowder or munitions storage site, caused significant casualties among people living nearby. A local news outlet affiliated with the UWSA has published a video appearing to show the aftermath of the blast, including a collapsed building with smoke still billowing from the site, as UWSA officials survey the destruction. The outlet reported that several people were confirmed killed in the blast, while at least 60 others were injured. Sources close to the UWSA said authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, with further information expected to be released by the group’s central leadership. “Investigations are ongoing. Detailed information will be announced by the central authorities,” said a person with ties to senior UWSA officials in a phone interview with Myanmar Now. The area around Panghsang is known for mining activities, where both local business operators and Chinese nationals are involved, according to residents. Deadly industrial explosions have occurred in UWSA-controlled areas in the past. In March 2019, a blast at a facility storing industrial gas cylinders killed 16 people, including factory workers, and injured 48 others. Similarly, in May 2022, an explosion at an explosives storage site at a mining operation killed at least 10 people and injured more than 20.

Scores feared dead, injured in blast at explosives depot near UWSA headquarters

Several people were confirmed killed and at least 60 others were injured, according to initial reports by a local news outlet

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