Huge blast kills dozens in rebel-held village in Myanmar

At least 46 people have been killed and dozens more wounded after an explosion in a village in a region of Myanmar under insurgent control, rescue teams have told the BBC.

The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), which controls the area and has been fighting the military junta, said explosives kept in a warehouse for use in local mining operations had ignited, causing the blast.

According to the TNLA, the facility contained gelignite stored by the group’s economic department for mining purposes.

An investigation is under way to determine how the material was detonated, the group said.

The TNLA is one of the most powerful ethnic armed groups opposed to the junta in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.

Many of the country’s rebel groups rely on mining precious minerals to fund their campaigns, with lax safety measures making mine collapses and other accidents common, according to AFP.

Read more: BBC