A powerful ammunition explosion occurred near Manmai Village in Theinni (Hsenwi) Township, northern Shan State, early on September 8, damaging a local monastery and several homes, according to residents.
The blast occurred at approximately 5:30 a.m. when bags of ammunition stored at an outdoor yard in a forested area west of Manmai Village detonated.
The shockwave shattered windows, blew out window frames, tore off roofs, and collapsed entire fencing walls at a nearby monastery and surrounding houses.
“The blast was so powerful that people in downtown Theinni felt the ground shake,” a local woman said. “Windows were blown out, and entire fences collapsed. While the explosion happened in the forest nearby, a monastery close to the site was heavily damaged.”
No civilian casualties were reported. However, troops from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) were deployed at the site, and it remains unconfirmed whether any MNDAA personnel were killed or injured.
“There were no civilian casualties, but I don’t know about the MNDAA troops,” the resident added. “The MNDAA rarely releases official statements when its soldiers are injured in these kinds of incidents.”
Following the blast, MNDAA forces blockaded roads surrounding Manmai Village and tightened security checkpoints throughout the area.
The MNDAA seized control of Theinni, the township administrative town, during its "Operation 1027" offensive launched in late 2023, and has since maintained an administrative presence in downtown wards.
The incident marks the latest in a series of ammunition depot explosions across armed group-controlled territories in northern Shan State.
On May 31, an ammunition depot belonging to the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) exploded in Kawngtat Village, Namhkam Township. While the TNLA officially reported 43 deaths and 112 injuries, local rescue groups stated the death toll exceeded 60, with over 600 people left homeless as the blast flattened surrounding homes.
Locals expressed growing alarm over the storage of military munitions near populated communities, noting that storing explosives close to residential zones poses severe risks to civilian safety.
