Explosion at Myanmar mining explosives depot kills 46

An explosion at a building storing mining explosives in northeastern Myanmar killed dozens of people and injured many more on Sunday, according to rescue workers and local reports. The blast occurred around noon in Kaungtup Village, Namhkam Township, an area located approximately three kilometers south of the Chinese border.

Rescue workers involved in the operation said at least 46 bodies, including those of six children, had been recovered by Sunday evening and taken for cremation. They reported that 74 injured people had been transported to a township hospital for treatment, and that rescue efforts were continuing. Another rescuer estimated about 40 fatalities and said more than 100 houses near the explosion site were damaged. Independent media outlets in Myanmar have reported varying death tolls, with some figures ranging from 50 to 55.

The area is controlled by the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), an ethnic armed group. In a statement released on its Telegram channel, the TNLA said gelignite, an explosive used in mining and rock blasting, had been stored at the building by its economic department for use in mining and stone quarrying sites. The group stated that an...