Arakanese child killed, three others injured in Hpakant UXO blast

By Admin 14 Feb 2026

DMG Newsroom

14 February 2026, Hpakant, Kachin State

One Arakanese child was killed and three others injured when an unexploded ordnance (UXO) detonated after they played with it in Hpakant Township, Kachin State, where fierce fighting continues between the military junta and a coalition force led by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).

The deceased has been identified as a seven-year-old boy. The injured children are Ma Nan Khaing Soe, 8; Maung Oo Ko Linn, 11; and another unidentified minor.

The children, residents of Taungpyo Village in Hpakant Township, reportedly found a 40mm unexploded grenade near the Mawmaw stream at around 9:00 a.m. on February 13. The blast occurred when they brought it back to the village and struck it with a stone.

“They found the grenade by the stream and brought it home to play with. When they hit it with a stone, it exploded. One boy died and three were injured. Two of the injured are in critical condition and have been rushed to Myitkyina Hospital,” a local resident told DMG.

The victims’ parents are internal migrants from Arakan State who moved to Hpakant for work. DMG is still investigating further details about the families.

Hundreds of thousands of Arakanese live in Hpakant Township, working in jade and gold mines as well as on rubber, teak, and banana plantations.

Fighting has intensified in Hpakant between the military regime and KIA/KPDF joint forces since May 2025. Since the conflict began, at least 200 civilians have been killed or injured in the township.

“In the six months since the fighting started, the civilian casualty toll in Hpakant has reached at least 200. Combined with frequent road blockades by the military, civilians are suffering severely from both the impacts of war and food insecurity,” another local resident said.

Civilian casualties in the region have been caused by junta airstrikes, heavy artillery fire, extrajudicial killings during ground offensives, and landmines or unexploded remnants of war.

Clashes are ongoing in Nyeinchan Thayar, Saitaung, Yumar, and Lonekhin village-tracts in Hpakant Township, forcing thousands of residents to flee to safer areas.