June 1 (Reuters) - The unexplained detonation of explosives stored by one of Myanmar's rebel armies has left at least 55 dead as the search for survivors continued amid widespread devastation at the site, witnesses said on Monday.
The explosion in Kaung Tat village happened around noon (0530 GMT) on Sunday, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) said in a statement, in which it said many had died without giving a specific toll.
Residents and media reported the toll at at least 55, with the search
at the blast site ongoing. The TNLA did not reply to a request for comment on Monday.
"Everything was completely destroyed beyond recognition," resident Moe Z told Reuters. He was travelling on a road about 1-1/2 miles (2.4 km) away when the explosion happened, saying a mushroom cloud of smoke billowed into the sky.
The TNLA, which controls the village near the Chinese border and is in a ceasefire with the Myanmar military, said it had been storing the explosives that detonated "for use in mining operations".
Myanmar's mineral resources, including rare earths, have become important sources of revenue for both the military-backed government and the rebel armies in the country's civil war.
The ongoing conflict began in 2021, when the military staged a coup that ousted the democratically elected civilian government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
Moe Z said that at first his group thought the explosion might have been an airstrike, but the absence of follow-up blasts made them wonder if a large unexploded bomb had detonated.
"Based on the explosive force and the sound we witnessed, this was no small explosion, it wasn't the scale of a drone-drop bomb," he said, of a tactic that has been used in Myanmar's civil war.
"NOT EVEN THE HOUSE POSTS REMAIN"
Moe Z said his group got to the site about an hour after the explosion, and that amid the human carnage at the scene the focus of people was to find survivors. He said there were limbs and bodies scattered over the area, with a massive crater where the explosives had been stored.
"It's as if the entire village has just vanished," he said.
A local journalist told Reuters the blast was so intense some victims were buried under huge amounts of rubble and debris, and backhoes were being used in the search.
"Over half of the village's houses have been destroyed. The houses near the centre of the blast were blown completely to pieces, to the point where not even the house posts remain," the journalist said.
In its statement on Sunday, the TNLA said it would investigate the incident and hold accountable those responsible. The group also said it would provide relief, healthcare and rehabilitation for those affected.
"The explosion caused the loss of life and injury to many people in Kaung Tat village, and the destruction of many homes," the TNLA said.
(Reporting by Reuters staff; Writing by John Mair; Editing by Stephen Coates)
