Blast at building storing explosives in Myanmar kills more than 45
people
[June 01, 2026]
By GRANT PECK
BANGKOK (AP) — A blast on Sunday at a building in northeastern Myanmar
said to have been storing explosives for mining has killed more than 45
people, according to rescue workers and independent media reports.
About 70 other people were injured in the explosion that took place
around noon in the village of Kaungtup, in Namhkam township.
The area, located about 3 kilometers (2 miles) south of the Chinese
border, is under the control of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, an
ethnic armed group which has engaged in sporadic fighting against
Myanmar’s central government.
A rescue worker who rushed to the site of the blast told The Associated
Press that 46 bodies, including six children, had been recovered by
Sunday evening and taken for cremation.
The rescuer, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons,
said 74 injured people had been transported to the township hospital and
rescue operations were continuing.
Another rescuer in Namhkam, who also spoke on condition of anonymity,
said about 40 people were killed and more than 100 houses near the blast
site were damaged.
Myanmar media outlets, including Shan State’s online Shwe Phee Myay news
agency, reported death tolls ranging from 50 to 55. They published
photos and videos showing smoke from the explosion and damaged buildings
and debris in its aftermath.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported the explosion caused multiple
deaths and injuries, with many residential houses being severely
damaged, but did not give figures.
It said that according to preliminary investigations, the blast occurred
at a site where large quantities of explosives used for mining
operations were stored.
Local authorities are currently providing relief, medical care and
resettlement assistance to affected residents, said the report.
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This handout photo provided by Palaung Land shows rescuers and local
residents carrying out search operations in the aftermath of an
explosion in Kaungtup village in Namhkam township in Shan state,
Myanmar on Sunday, May 31, 2026. (Palaung Land via AP)
The Ta’ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, said in a statement
released on its Telegram channel that gelignite had been stored by
the group’s economic department for use in mining and stone
quarrying sites, and that an investigation into the cause of the
explosion is underway.
Gelignite is widely used in mining and rock blasting, but can become
highly unstable over time and if poorly stored.
The Ta’ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, is a member of the
rebel Three Brotherhood Alliance, and has controlled the Namhkam
area since the alliance and its allies launched a major offensive
against the military in northeastern Myanmar in late 2023. The
alliance members and other ethnic armed groups have long fought for
increased autonomy.
The TNLA signed a ceasefire with Myanmar's military following
China-mediated talks in October last year, but relations remain
tense.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army seized power from the
elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1, 2021, triggering
widespread popular opposition. After peaceful demonstrations were
put down with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up
arms, and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict.
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