At least 38 killed in Myanmar mining explosive blast

AP, June 1, 2026, Bangkok: At least 38 people were killed in a massive explosion caused by stored mining explosives in northeastern Myanmar, according to rescue teams and local reports. More than a dozen rescue and charity groups used excavation machinery on Monday to recover bodies following the blast. The explosion occurred on Sunday at noon in Kaungtup village, Namhkam township in Shan State, near the Chinese border. Initial reports had suggested at least 45 deaths, but local rescue volunteers now put the number of dead at 38–40.

Determining the exact death toll has been complicated because several bodies were blown apart by the force of the explosion. Many of Myanmar’s resource-rich areas, where most mining operations are largely unregulated, are controlled by different armed militias engaged in sporadic fighting against the central government to seek greater autonomy. Accidents, such as deadly landslides, are fairly common.

The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), an ethnic armed group that controls the Namhkam area, said Sunday’s blast involved gelignite used in local mining and stone quarrying. Although gelignite is commonly used, it becomes highly unstable over time if stored poorly. Residents of the 200-household village reported that they were never told explosives were being kept there. An investigation into the specific cause of the explosion is underway, the TNLA said.

The incident has cast a spotlight on Myanmar’s lucrative but largely unregulated mineral industry and Chinese investment in the country’s extractive industries. Two local residents told The Associated Press on Monday that mines producing raw materials for silicon metal — a key industrial substance used in semiconductors, solar panels, and aluminium alloys — are located in mountainous areas about 15 kilometres southwest of Namhkam town.

Myanmar’s mining industry is a major global provider of rare earth elements, copper, tin, and precious gems, especially jade and rubies, and is the main supplier to China, where the extracted materials are processed and refined.