(Al Jazeera Media Network) Dozens of people have been killed in an explosion in northeast Myanmar near the border with China, local media and a rebel group have said.
The exact death toll in Sunday’s blast in the village of Kaung Tat in Shan State was not immediately clear.
Local news website The Irrawaddy reported that at least 46 people, including six children, were killed and more than 70 wounded due to a blast at an explosives depot. A rescue worker told the Shwe Phee Myay news agency that 55 people were killed.
Several houses were damaged in the explosion at around 12:30 pm local time (05:50 GMT), and rescue operations were reportedly ongoing.
Video shared on social media showed an enormous plume of smoke, followed by secondary explosions. Other images showed several buildings completely destroyed.
The blast was in an area controlled by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), one of the most powerful rebel groups in Myanmar, which has been fighting for decades for greater autonomy from central government.
The armed wing of the Palaung Self Liberation Front, the TNLA is one of three ethnic armed groups that make up the so-called Three Brotherhood Alliance.
