Rescuers dig for bodies after a massive mining explosives blast in Myanmar kills at least 38

Key points

• More than a dozen rescue and charity groups used excavation machinery on Monday (June 1, 2026) to recover bodies following a massive blast from stored mining explosives in northeastern Myanmar.
• The explosion occurred Sunday (May 31, 2026) at noon in Kaungtup village, Namhkam township in Shan State near the Chinese border.
• Initial reports had suggested there were at least 45 deaths, but local rescue volunteers now put the number of dead at 38-40. Determining the exact death toll has been complicated because several bodies were blown apart by the force of the explosion.
• Many of Myanmar’s resource-rich areas, where most mining operations have been largely unregulated, are controlled by different armed militias engaged in sporadic fighting against the central government to seek greater autonomy.
• Accidents, such as deadly landslides, are fairly common.