A 16-year-old student died after stepping on a landmine while fishing with friends in Myanmar’s northwestern Sagaing Region, underscoring the lethal threat posed by landmines across conflict zones in the country.

The eighth-grade student was killed on Sept. 6 in a village in Kalay Township after venturing into pools near his village while school was out.

The victim arrived at the Khana Tar Ayeik Hospital more than two hours after the blast due to severe transport delays, suffering from extreme blood loss and critical injuries. Emergency resuscitation efforts failed to save him, according to Dr. Phyo Kyaw, the medical officer in charge.

The area had previously seen intense fighting between Myanmar's military junta and anti-regime revolutionary forces, with both sides laying landmines during offensives and patrols. Although local resistance forces had swept parts of the area and issued public warnings regarding residual landmines, the victim had taken a route outside usual safe paths.

Landmine casualties have surged across Myanmar since the military seized power in the February 2021 coup. According to UNICEF Myanmar, 327 explosive ordnance incidents were recorded nationwide in the first six months of 2026, resulting in 487 civilian casualties, including deaths and severe disabilities.