More than 45 killed, around 70 injured in blast at explosives storage building in Myanmar

More than 45 people were killed and around 70 injured in an explosion at a building reportedly storing mining explosives in northeastern Myanmar on Sunday, AP reported citing rescue workers and local media reports.The blast occurred around noon in Kaungtup village in Namhkam township, about 3 km south of the Chinese border. The area is controlled by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), an ethnic armed group fighting Myanmar’s military-led government.The cause of the explosion was not immediately known. However, the building was reported to have been storing explosives used for mining activities.A rescue worker involved in the operation told AP that 46 bodies, including those of six children, had been recovered by Sunday evening and taken for cremation.The rescuer, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, said 74 injured people had been taken to the township hospital and that rescue efforts were continuing.Another rescuer in Namhkam, who also requested anonymity, said about 40 people had been killed in the blast and that more than 100 houses near the site were damaged.