Kyaukphyu man dies in landmine explosion

By Admin 23 May 2024

DMG Newsroom
23 May 2024, Kyaukphyu

A local man from Kulabar Village, part of Arakan State’s Kyaukphyu Township, who was seriously injured in a landmine blast, died at the hospital on Thursday evening.

U Maung Tun Win, 40, from Kulabar Village, was returning from his farm at about 7 a.m. on May 23 when he stepped on the landmine. He initially lost his right leg in the blast.

Locals sent U Maung Tun Win to Kyaukphyu Hospital, but he succumbed to severe injuries that evening.

“He died at the hospital due to severe injuries and his body was reportedly taken back to the village,” said a local woman.

Junta soldiers raided Kulabar Village in January and March and reportedly planted several landmines in farmlands near the villages and in the surrounding forests.

The number of people killed or injured by landmine blasts has been on the rise in Kyaukphyu Township. Landmine blasts are frequently reported in locations where junta troops were once stationed.

“It is important for local residents to avoid travelling to areas where the military is stationed,” said a social activist in Kyaukphyu Township.

Landmine blasts killed three civilians and injured 10 others in Kyaukphyu Township from January to May 23 of this year, according to a DMG tally.

The regime has planted landmines not only around its military bases, but also in public areas, including towns and villages where civilians live, and near schools and religious buildings. The Three Brotherhood Alliance has issued a warning advising civilians to exercise extra caution.