Locals worried about safety after landmine blast in Kyauktaw Twsp village

By Admin 04 Nov 2024

DMG Newsroom
4 November 2024, Kyauktaw

Local people in Tinma Village, located along the upper reaches of the Kaladan River in Kyauktaw Township, are concerned about their safety following a landmine explosion in the village.

A landmine exploded while people who had come to resettle in Tinma Village were clearing their homes of overgrowth on November 2.

"In the morning, the villagers had cut the bushes and put them in one place, and in the evening, when they were burning them, a mine exploded. No one was injured in the landmine blast," said a villager.

Residents of Tinma Village were allowed to return home in March of this year, after the AA seized control of Kyauktaw Town.

The area surrounding Tinma village saw fierce fighting between the military and the Arakkha Army (AA) during a previous round of their ongoing conflict, so there is significant risk of landmines and explosive remnants of war.

Many returning internally displaced people (IDPs) in Arakan State are unable to engage in agricultural activities due to the threat of landmines, and face livelihood difficulties as well as rehabilitation challenges.

"A landmine exploded in the village on November 2. It is not easy for us to make a living in the area," said another Tinma villager.

A child was seriously injured on October 29 after stepping on a landmine reportedly planted by the Myanmar military near Tattaung Town, part of Arakan State's Ann Township, losing a leg in the blast.

Forty-eight civilian casualties were reported in Arakan State from April to October due to landmines and unexploded ordnance encounters, according to a DMG tally.