NAYPYIDAW: Four people were killed and 12 injured on Thursday after a series of car bomb explosions at a pagoda where a crowd had gathered to celebrate the beginning of the Buddhist New Year in eastern Myanmar, according to a rescue worker and security source.
The explosions destroyed at least three vehicles near Yan Taing Aung pagoda in Lashio township of eastern Shan state.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since a military coup in February 2021, with the army and anti-junta fighters frequently clashing.
The Thingyan festival, a joyful celebration involving public water fights, has become politicized since the military coup, with pro-democracy figures calling for boycotts of events that are supported by the junta.
The explosions come only days after at least 130 people were reported killed in an air strike in central Myanmar.
No group claims responsibility for Myanmar blast
The attack prompted international outrage and condemnation. In Yangon, the commercial capital, streets were empty as residents stayed home after the devastating junta air strike in Pazi Gyi village.
While the official death toll is yet to be confirmed, media reports and a witness involved in the rescue said there had been at least 130 fatalities.
No group has claimed responsibility for the car bomb blasts at the New Year festival. A security source confirmed the death toll and said authorities had scoured the area for further explosives.
In Yangon, several hundred people in traditional costumes turned out at the city hall and a nearby park to dance, walk through pavilions spraying water and release balloons.
Over 3,200 civilians have been killed in the country since the military seized power in February 2021, according to a local monitoring group.
