A nine-year-old child was killed and her two sisters were left injured after a landmine exploded on a farm near a Tatmadaw camp in Kachin State on April 19, according to a relative.
Alay Mee and her three daughters were working on the farm in Bhamo District when the mine exploded. Nine-year-old Htu Tawng was killed in the blast, while Ji Pan, 16, and Seng Pan, 22, were injured.
“The incident took place in an area very close to the village. They went to work on the farm at around 4:30pm. The farm is located next to the Burma Army’s camp. They were working on the farm when the mine exploded.
The mother was working in the upper area and her three daughters were working on the lower area,” said La Doi, a relative of the family.
The bomb exploded on the fourth day after the family started clearing the land to plant vegetables.
The child who was killed, Htu Tawng, was about to sit her final exam for the third standard.
“The eldest daughter is getter better. The middle daughter Ji Pan has a serious injury. She is injured on her arm, thigh and back. Her kidney and liver have both been affected so she hasn’t undergone a surgery for her back injury. The situation is still bad,” said La Doi.
A funeral for Htu Tawng was held on April 20. Her parents Wahpai Brang Nan and Alay Mee were so distraught that they fainted, he added.
Officials from Mansi Police Station came to see the family the day after the incident and asked them to settle the case. The family members signed papers out of fear, according to La Doi.
Translated by Thida Linn
Edited by Laignee Barron
