Myanmar airstrike death toll rises to 50 in Rakhine market attack

The death toll from a military airstrike on a market and nearby bridge in western Myanmar has risen to 50, according to local aid workers and volunteers. Another 58 people were injured in the attack in Kyauktaw, in Rakhine state. Witnesses said the air raid struck the riverside commercial centre around midday on Monday.

Families gathered on Tuesday to search for bodies, many of which were covered with plastic sheeting or placed in plywood coffins. Aid worker Wai Aung said the final death toll could increase because some bodies were lost in fires caused by the bombing. A second local volunteer gave the same toll but requested anonymity for security reasons.

The Myanmar military could not be contacted for comment. The Arakan Army, an ethnic rebel force that controls the area, said those killed included passersby, market vendors, shoppers and cargo loaders. The United Nations’ human rights chief, Volker Türk, said the strike illustrated the severe conditions facing civilians across Myanmar, particularly in Rakhine.

He cited years of extreme violence and widespread rights violations. The market had become an important trading centre during the civil war, with river commerce providing a lifeline to a region largely cut off from the rest of the country. Rakhine has experienced some of the conflict’s most severe conditions.

Conflict monitor ACLED analyst Su Mon said Rakhine had experienced the military’s mass killings more than other areas. She said the military was seeking to regain control of the state, where the Arakan Army controls most territory outside several urban centres. UN data cited in the report says nearly 500,000 people are displaced in Rakhine.