The junta airstrike on Bon To village, Chaung-U Township in Sagaing Region, has climbed to 27, with around 50 others injured, according to local sources.
The attack, which occurred around 7 pm on 6 October during a Thadingyut Full Moon candlelight event, has triggered an urgent call for blood and medical supplies.
The bombing took place as local residents and members of strike committees were holding a “Revolutionary Lighting Strike” at Bon To Village School. A paramotor aircraft from the junta’s Northwestern Command dropped two 120-mm bombs directly into the crowd, killing 17 people on the spot.
“The number of fatalities differs by source, but we have confirmed 27 deaths. Around 50 others are wounded and scattered in different places, unable to receive proper treatment. The most pressing needs are blood and medicine,” a local contact told Mizzima.
A second bombing run occurred shortly after the first, as villagers were attempting to rescue the wounded and bury the dead. Fortunately, no additional casualties were reported in the second strike, as most people had already taken cover.
A member of a local defence force who helped with recovery efforts described the aftermath as gruesome.
“Most of the injuries were to the abdomen and legs. Some victims were mutilated so badly that only bones remained,” he said.
Local defence groups have warned that the death toll may rise further if emergency medical care cannot reach the area soon, as many of the wounded remain in critical condition without access to adequate treatment.
Among those killed were civilians, including women and children, as well as members of various local resistance groups.
Confirmed casualties include Comrades Chan Nyein Aung, Nyi Nyi Zaw, and Kan Myint Lwin of the Sagaing Region Strike Group, and Comrade Zaw Lin Htaik of the “We Are People” support group for war refugees and fire victims. Condolence statements have been issued in their memory.
As the bombing took place in rural Sagaing, junta-appointed Sagaing Region Chief Minister U Myat Kyaw was attending an official celebration in Chan Myawaddy Ward, Monywa Town. The event included food stalls and live music, organized by junta supporters.
Ko Soe Win Swe, a leader of the Sagaing Forum, described the timing of the airstrike as intentional. “The suffering will make victims resent those who joined the celebrations. The military deliberately fosters this kind of hatred to create ongoing social conflict,” he said in a social media post.
Meanwhile, pro-junta accounts circulated propaganda following the bombing, framing it as a successful operation against “terrorists” and crediting local informants for providing intelligence on People’s Defence Forces (PDF) activity in the village.
Despite the brutal attack, people across Myanmar continued to light candles in windows, homes, and religious sites to mark the Thadingyut festival.
Nationwide candlelight protests were held on 6 October, calling for the release of political prisoners including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and rejecting the junta’s conscription law and planned sham elections.
