Dozens killed by blast in rebel-held Myanmar village

The explosion in Kaungtup village flattened homes and has killed dozens of people. (AP/Palaung Land)

Authorities say dozens of people have been killed by a blast in a rebel-held village in Myanmar, close to the country's border with China.

It is believed the blast was caused by explosives used for mining that had been stored in a warehouse.

An investigation into the cause of the explosion is underway, according to the Ta’ang National Liberation Army that controls the area.

A blast in north-eastern Myanmar said to have been caused by the accidental detonation of mining explosives has killed more than 45 people, according to rescue workers and independent media reports.

About 70 other people were injured in the explosion that took place about noon in the village of Kaungtup, in Namhkam township.

The area, located about 3 kilometres south of the Chinese border, is under the control of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, an ethnic armed group that has engaged in sporadic fighting against Myanmar’s central government.

A rescue worker who rushed to the site of the blast told The Associated Press that 46 bodies, including six children, had been recovered by Sunday evening, local time, and taken for cremation.

The rescuer, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said 74 injured people had been transported to the township hospital and rescue operations were continuing.

Another rescuer in Namhkam, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said about 40 people were killed and more than 100 houses near the blast site were damaged.

Images show the local village largely destroyed by the blast. (AP/Palaung Land)

Myanmar media outlets, including Shan State’s online Shwe Phee Myay news agency, reported death tolls ranging from 50 to 55. They published photos and videos showing smoke from the explosion and damaged buildings and debris in its aftermath.

"There could be more dead people under their destroyed houses," one rescue worker told news agency AFP.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported the explosion caused multiple deaths and injuries, with many residential houses being severely damaged, but did not give figures.

It said that according to preliminary investigations, the blast occurred at a site where large quantities of explosives used for mining operations were stored.

Local authorities are currently providing relief, medical care and resettlement assistance to affected residents, the report said.

The Ta’ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, said in a statement released on its Telegram channel that gelignite had been stored by