By Kantarawaddy Times
A 57-year-old woman, foraging for wild vegetables, was killed after stepping on a concealed landmine in an area of eastern Demoso Township in Karenni State where regime soldiers had previously stayed.
A man in his twenties who is familiar with the incident explained that the jungle was already cordoned off because there were leftover landmines in the jungle, yet some people in need of food sometimes ignore the dangers and venture into the area to look for vegetables and edible insects.
“When we heard the sound of the explosion, we travelled to see the area where the explosion happened.”
The woman was alive when she was discovered by the rescuers, he said, but her legs were blown away from the M-16 anti-personnel mine. She died before reaching the hospital.
Another woman who went with the victim remained unscathed from the accident.
The headman for the area has instructed residents to stay away from this area, recognizing that there were many concealed explosives buried in the ground. Several cattle have already been killed when they entered the jungle.
The Karenni Nationalities Defence Force and Karenni Army have forced most of the Burma army from the eastern township after the junta launched an offensive in the spring of 2023. However, the regime soldiers planted many landmines before leaving in the jungle and around villages they occupied.
Lacking the equipment, resistance forces have been unable to remove most of these anti-personnel mines, and several people displaced from the conflict have been killed or injured when they tried to return to their homes.
