Locals and authorities inspect the scene of the explosion. Photo / DVB
An explosion in the Chin State capital of Hakha, which killed at least five people and injured seven more on Sunday, has been blamed on stockpiled detonation cords.
The November 22 explosion occurred in a local home at around 10:30pm, according to local police.
“The blast came from a house that had stockpiled detonation cords – five people were killed and seven others injured while four horses and a jeep were destroyed in the fire,” said Hakha Township police superintendent Thet Naing Zaw, who confirmed that the couple who owned the home were away when the explosion went off.
He added that it is common for residents to stockpile the detonation cords, usually used in road construction, after buying them from the cross-border Indian town of Mizoram.
“We assume that the explosion was caused by the detonation cords – we are still investigating the matter for more details,” Thet Naing Zaw said.
The three men and four women injured in the accident were sent to the local Hakha hospital, and are reportedly in a stable condition.
The Chin State capital is currently struggling to recover from the effects of floods and landslides that devastated the city this summer. Plans are under way to relocate several neighborhoods on the outskirts of the town that are considered unsafe.
International seismologists have been contracted to test for new sites, and at least two locations outside Hakha are being sought to house up to a thousand people.
This story was originally published by the Democratic Voice of Burma
