Four Including Two Children Injured at Hsenwi Explosion 

Four people—including two children—were injured in Hsenwi Township when an unexploded ordnance picked up from a nearby forest accidentally detonated, local sources said.

The incident occurred at around 8:00 a.m. on May 16 in Painsa Village, located within the Painsa village tract of Hsenwi Township, an area currently controlled by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), also known as the Kokang army.

According to a local source who spoke to the Ta’ang Women’s Organization (TWO), a 40-year-old man identified as Jawa found the device in a forest and brought it back to the village, mistakenly assuming it was inert. He then handed it to his 7-year-old nephew, Maung David, to play with. The device exploded after the child dropped it.

“The children were in the village that day. Their uncle picked up the bomb from the forest and gave it to Maung David, believing it was expired,” the source who knew about the event said. “The child dropped it, triggering the explosion. It was a small device, but the exact type remains unknown.”

The blast injured all four individuals present: Jawa, 40: Suffered severe injuries to his head and legs; Daw Nadee, 41: Sustained fractures to her right hand and right toe; Ma Etta, 10: Suffered fractures to her right thigh, ankle, and calf; Maung David, 7: Suffered a broken leg below the knee, a traumatic left eye injury, and lost three finger on his right hand.

Both adult victims, Jawa and Daw Nadee, have since been discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment. 

However, the two children, Ma Etta and Maung David, have been transferred from Hsenwi Hospital to Laukkai Hospital—located in the Kokang region—for advanced medical care. 

Relatives noted that the family is currently facing financial difficulties to cover their mounting medical expenses.