Tragedy strikes at Myanmar Buddhist festival after paraglider drops bombs, at least 40 killed

A paramotor attack during a festival and protest in central Myanmar has left at least 40 people dead and 47 others injured, according to a spokesperson from the exiled National Unity Government speaking to BBC Burmese. The incident happened on Monday evening in Chaung U township, where roughly 100 people had gathered to celebrate the Thadingyut festival, a national holiday with Buddhist traditions. During the event, which also served as a candlelight vigil against military junta policies, a motorised paraglider dropped two bombs onto the crowd, a local official from the anti-junta People's Defence Force reported.

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Myanmar has been embroiled in civil conflict since the military took control through a coup in 2021. According to United Nations estimates, the violence has claimed the lives of over 5,000 civilians. On Monday (October 6), a representative from the People's Defence Force told BBC Burmese that they were gathering when they received warnings of a potential airstrike. In an attempt to quickly disperse the protest, they tried to wrap things up. However, the paramotors arrived earlier than anticipated, and within just seven minutes, bombs were dropped.

"I was on the ground when the first bomb hit. It struck my knee, but I could hear people dying around me," the official was quoted as saying. Locals said that the aftermath of the bombings made it difficult to identify the victims. "Children were completely torn apart," said a woman involved in organising the protest, while speaking to news agency AFP. Although she wasn’t present during the attack, she attended the funerals the following day and mentioned that they were still gathering body parts from the scene.

Amnesty International condemned the use of paramotors in attacks, calling it part of a "disturbing pattern" by the military in recent times. BBC Burmese reported that the junta has been increasingly turning to paramotor-based assaults due to limited access to aircraft and helicopters, exacerbated by international sanctions that have hindered the acquisition of military resources.

At the candlelight vigil, participants protested against the military's conscription practices and the upcoming elections, while also demanding the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political detainees. Myanmar is set to hold general elections in December—the first since the military coup. However, critics argue that the elections will not be free or fair, but rather a means for the junta to maintain its unchallenged hold on power.