Eighteen individuals lost their lives in a recent airstrike on a town in central Myanmar, with local officials, rescue workers, and residents corroborating the tragic event. This incident is the latest in a series of military actions that have escalated since the coup in 2021, which plunged Myanmar into civil conflict and has seen the military frequently engage in airstrikes against anti-coup factions, inevitably resulting in civilian casualties.
The airstrike targeted the Tabayin township in the Sagaing region on Friday evening. According to a local administration official, two bombs were released, one of which struck a bustling teashop during a peak time for patrons. The official reported that 18 deaths were confirmed, along with around 20 injuries as a direct result of the attack.
Witnesses provided chilling accounts of the chaos that ensued. A rescue worker, who arrived shortly after the bombing, indicated that the immediate impact resulted in seven deaths on-site, while a further 11 individuals succumbed to their injuries in nearby hospitals. The teashop, traditionally a focal point for social interaction in Myanmar, along with approximately a dozen adjacent homes, was completely devastated.
A survivor detailed the harrowing moments as he was watching a boxing match in the teashop at the time of the strike. He described the panic that ensued upon hearing the aircraft overhead and managed to take cover just before the explosion. The survivor recounted seeing flames in the aftermath of the blast, expressing relief at having escaped with his life.
Community response to the tragedy was swift, with funerals for the victims occurring the following day. A local resident lamented that many of the deceased were well-known to her, with some faces obscured by towels due to the severity of their injuries.
The ongoing conflict in the region takes a tragic turn as the junta’s airstrikes continue to inflict heavy tolls on civilians. In a strikingly similar incident, an airstrike in Sagaing in May reportedly resulted in the deaths of 22 people, including 20 children, despite a declared ceasefire intended to provide relief following a devastating earthquake. This recent tragedy underscores the dire humanitarian situation in Myanmar as the violence and instability persist.
