E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters
People walk at the scene of an explosion in Yangon early Dec. 29, 2011. Dozens of people were killed in a strong explosion that rocked eastern suburb of commercial city Yangon at about 2 a.m., witnesses and officials said.
YANGON — Dozens of people were killed and injured early Thursday in a large unexplained explosion and fire in Myanmar's commercial hub and former capital Yangon early Thursday, officials and witnesses said.
Myanmar police told Reuters that 17 people were confirmed dead, 80 were injured.
Residents in several areas of the city were woken by the 2 a.m. blast at a state-owned medical warehouse in the eastern township of Mingalar Taung Nyunt. The explosion caused neighboring houses, many of which were wooden, to collapse and burn, The Associated Press reported.
Fire was spread to a nearby shipyard and factories, Reuters said.
A security official at the scene said the dead included 10 men, including three firefighters, and five women, while at least 65 people were injured, including some 30 firemen.
"We are still trying to make the list. We are also trying to find out the cause of the explosion and the fire," he told AFP, the French news agency.
Soe Than Win / AFP - Getty Images
Myanmar rescue workers carry a dead body from a large unexplained explosion and fire in Yangon on Dec. 29, 2011. At least 15 people were killed and dozens more injured in an explosion and fire in Myanmar's commercial hub and former capital Yangon early on Thursday, officials and witnesses said.
Nyein Chan Naing / EPA
Rescue workers help an Buddhist monk after an explosion at a warehouse in Mingalar TaungNyunt township, Yangon, Myanmar, 29 December 2011. The loud explosions occurred early morning around 2:00 am at a warehouse killing at least 10 people.
Leave a Comment:
Looks like an accident. Condolences to the families of the dead.
Burma.
Yes, Burma.
Yes, it is BURMA
I think they get to decide what their own country is called, bub. Or do you like it when British people refer to the USA as "the colonies"? (Assuming you're from here.)
Will to Power...Read my post...And yes I am from the USA...I am ashamed to say...It is the "colonies"...Many people here in Northern Thailand... and I mean MANY... still and will ALWAYS call it "BURMA"...I live 100 kilometers from the "Burmese" border and will be there on Friday for a visit...Have a nice New Year...In the "colonies"...
Some of the things these people do with modern technology is scary.. Adding gasoline to a running engine, The way they wire electricity... This accident happened by someones sheer stupidity.
I wonder how many new immigrants we will lose this winter by them burning a barbecue inside or running a generator inside as well...
As sad as it is.. It keeps happening.
This fire is suspicious - it started in a medical warehouse. Most likely chemical fire due to reactions between dangerous chenicals, very similar to the fire that killed 100s of patients in an elite private hospital in Kolkata, India. This time it wasn't the Indian poors but all the rich and aristocrats - sad but true, it was their turn. The hospital stored gasoline and diesel fuels at the basement - the most flammable chemicals did not find any other place than a hospital basement.
There's no end to this type of stupidity... these are all man-made disasters which are easily avoidable...
RIP the departed souls - my kindest regards to the families of the deads...
Sad to hear people died, condolences to their families and friends. Hopefully the find the cause, so they can prevent it from happening again.
Looks like another liquid propane accident to me....a small continuous leek + a small flame , or (cigarette ligher) = what you see here....
"state-owned medical warehouse" and "Fire was spread to a nearby shipyard and factories" medical my ass, it wouldn't be the first time hospitals and things like schools were used as depots for OTHER things.
Amazing that we get any news out of there at all. In the meantime, just what really caused this???
It's Burma, not "Myanmar".
B U R M A
Get it straight MSNBC!
I live in Thailand, in fact Chiang Rai Thailand, about 100 kilometers from the Burmese border and many people here, including myself call it B U R M A...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!