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Bombing death toll rises to 10
(Volume 26, No. 520)
Pandemonium near Kandawgyi Lake shortly after a series of bombs killed eight people and injured 170 at a water festival pandal on April 15. Pic: Courtesy of Snapshot Journal
THE official death toll from the Yangon water festival bombings has risen to 10 after two men injured in the blast died at Yangon General Hospital, the Yangon Division Peace and Development Council has confirmed.
The two men died on April 17 and 19 respectively. Eight people were killed in the initial bombing and 170 were treated for their injuries Yangon General Hospital, Thingyangyun Hospital, Yangon West Hospital and Yangon Childrens Hospital.
Most have been discharged but, as of April 22, 68 were still receiving treatment in hospital, officials said.
In some townships, public notices have been put up offering a K1 million (US$1000) reward for information on who may be responsible for the bombing, which occurred at about 3pm at the X2O pandal beside Kandawgyi Lake, in Mingalar Taung Nyunt township. It is not clear who is offering the reward.
“I noticed this announcement on April 20, it was put up on our condominium building and said a reward would be given to people who can provide information about the bombings in Yangon. I don’t know exactly which day the announcement started,” said Ma Htar May from Bahan township.
But an article in Myanmar-language state media on April 21 claimed anti-government groups were behind the attack.
The article, published under the byline “A Researcher”, accused the Karen National Union, All Burma Students Democratic Front, Democratic Alliance of Burma, National League for Democracy-Liberated Area and the National Council of the Union of Burma of being responsible for the bomb attacks.
The article said the groups had held meeting in a neighbouring country to plot water festival bombings across the country.
State-run media said there was a drop in the number of criminal offences, deaths and injuries caused by “accidental chaos” over the four-day Thingyan water festival.
Three people died – two as a result of car accidents and one following an assault – and 61 people were injured from April 13-16, the newspaper said.
Fifty-three criminal incidents were reported over the festival, including 10 related to car accidents, 23 cases of assault, three cases of “nuisance of duties” and one instance of “outraging modesty”.
The newspaper said the decline was due to the public learning lessons from previous water festivals and carefully following the rules and regulations.
