The Ta’ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, said in a statement released on its Telegram channel that the gelignite had been stored by the group’s economic department for use at mining and quarrying sites and that an investigation into the cause of the explosion was underway.
Gelignite is widely used in mining and rock blasting, but can become very unstable over time and if stored poorly.
The Ta’ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, is a member of the rebel Three Brotherhood Alliance and has controlled the Namhkam area since the alliance and its allies launched a major offensive against the army in northeastern Myanmar in late 2023. Members of the alliance and other ethnic armed groups have long fought for autonomy.
The TNLA signed a ceasefire with Myanmar’s army after China-brokered talks in October last year, but relations remain strained.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, 2021, sparking widespread popular opposition. After peaceful demonstrations were suppressed with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict.
