A blast at a building storing explosives in north-eastern Myanmar has killed more than 45 people and injured dozens more, according to rescue workers and local reports. The incident occurred around noon on Sunday in the village of Kaungtup, Namhkam township, which lies about three kilometers south of the Chinese border.

Rescue personnel recovering from the explosion said that by Sunday evening, 46 bodies, including six children, had been found and taken for cremation. Approximately 74 injured individuals were transported to Namhkam township hospital, and emergency operations were ongoing. Another source involved in the rescue efforts indicated that around 40 people had died and added that over 100 houses near the blast site suffered damage.

Local media outlets, including Shan State’s online Shwe Phee Myay, reported slightly higher death toll estimates ranging between 50 and 55. The area is controlled by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), an ethnic armed group engaged in intermittent clashes with Myanmar’s central government. The TNLA is a constituent of the rebel Three Brotherhood Alliance.

In a statement posted on its Telegram channel, the TNLA acknowledged that the explosive material involved was gelignite, which had been stored by the group’s economic department for mining and stone quarrying activities in the region. The group confirmed that an investigation into the cause of the blast is ongoing.

Gelignite, a type of explosive commonly used in mining operations, can become dangerously unstable if stored improperly or over a prolonged period. The exact circumstances leading to the explosion remain under investigation. The incident highlights the ongoing risks associated with the storage and handling of explosives in conflict-affected areas controlled by armed groups.