Township Chairman among injured in bomb blasts

Thursday, 15 April 2010 20:20 Min Thet

Rangoon (Mizzima) - Three bombs exploded in quick succession at the X2O water festival pavilion in Rangoon at about 3 p.m. today near the Theinbyu driving track, Kandawgyi Lake, Mingala Taungnyunt Township.
The blasts killed five men and three women, including Township Municipal Officer of Mingala Taungnyunt, an official of the Yangon (Rangoon) City Development Committee (YCDC) said.

However, some unconfirmed sources said nine people had died.

The number of injured may touch 90 but according to the Rangoon Division Police Force Chief’s office, 63 people had been admitted to the Rangoon General Hospital (RGH) as in-patients, it is learnt.

“A lot of people were injured in the blasts including Sub-Inspector of Police Maung Maung Han and Mingala Taugnyung Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) Chairman Kyaw Nyein. Around 63 persons were admitted to RGH,” a duty officer at the Rangoon Police Force Chief’s office said.

“When I heard three loud explosions at about 3 p.m., I was near Yuzana Plaza. First I thought it was car tyres, which had burst, but later realized that it was something else. I called my friends at the water festival at the Theinbyu ground and they said bombs had exploded. When I reached there, the area was cordoned off by the police. There was chaos everywhere with people running and wailing. Parents of revellers at the pavilion were crying,” a person who reached the bomb blast site within 15 minutes said.

The state-run media reported at 6 p.m. local time that three men and three women were killed in the blasts which left 75 injured. But it later reported that total eight died and 84 injured.

“It is strange and unprecedented. The government has never before announced such news so fast,” a local resident from Tamwe Township said.

The perpetrators of the bomb blasts have not yet been identified but the police said time bombs were planted at the pavilion.

The police started making arbitrary arrests of people near the blast site. A 20-year old youth from Mingala Taungnyunt Township, who fled from the spot to evade arrest said.

“We ran from the spot. They seized my camera,” he said.