A bombing attack carried out by a motorized parachutist during a Buddhist festival and protest in Myanmar has killed at least 24 people and injured 47 others, according to a spokesperson for the exiled National Unity Government, speaking to the BBC.
Around 100 people had gathered in the town of Chaung U on Monday evening for the Thadingyut festival — a national celebration with Buddhist roots — when a motorized parachutist dropped two bombs on the crowd, said a local official from the anti-junta People’s Defense Force.
Myanmar has been in a state of civil war since 2021, when the military seized power in a coup. According to UN estimates, the conflict has claimed the lives of more than 5,000 civilians.
The People’s Defense Force official told the BBC that during Monday’s gathering, they had received intelligence about a possible airstrike and tried to end the event quickly — but the parachutists arrived earlier than expected.
“They arrived and dropped the bomb within just seven minutes. When the first bomb fell, I dropped to the ground, but it hit me below the knee. There were dead people right next to me,” he said.
Local witnesses said the destruction caused by the bombs made it difficult to identify the victims.
“Children were torn to pieces,” said a woman who helped organize the event, speaking to AFP.
