Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Bomb explodes in Toungoo; no one injured

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Wednesday, 29 June 2011 16:26 Kyaw Kha

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Township authorities confirmed that a strong bomb exploded on grassland in Taungoo on Wednesday afternoon.

The bomb exploded on the corner of Matetabala Street and Mingyinyo Street in the 20th Quarter in Taungoo in the eastern part of Pegu Region at about 1 p.m. There were no casualties, according to Taungoo Township Police Station No.1.

‘We assume it was a time bomb. The explosion seemed very powerful. The whole town could hear the explosion. When we reached the scene, there was a hole in the grassland, but there were no buildings nearby’, said a municipal official who went to the scene shortly after the incident.

Police sealed off the area, and a bomb disposal squad is investigating. Vehicles driving in the area have been examined. A resident in Taungoo said that authorities occasionally carried out checks on whether there were unregistered overnight guests in the homes in Taungoo. Vehicles driving on roads were unexpectedly examined during the previous few days, according to one resident.

On June 10, the No. 2 Thoutyaykhat electric power plant in Taungoo Township was fired on by an unknown armed group using rocket-propelled grenades.

The plant, which is under construction, is located on the bank of the Thoutyaykhat Stream, 14 miles east of Taungoo.

After the attack, more than 1,000 employees including a few Chinese citizens from the Thoutyaykhat plant moved to the urban area of Taungoo on June 19.

Although there has been no claim of responsibility, a police officer at Taungoo Township Police Station No. 1 told Mizzima that it was probable that the attack was carried out by the Karen National Union.

Earlier this week, three nearly simultaneous bomb explosions occurred in Naypyitaw, Mandalay and Pyinoolwin (Maymyo) on June 24. Authorities said three people were injured. Authorities have named three suspects who allegedly plotted the bomb blasts.

Location of bomb explosion in Toungoo Credit: Google maps

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