Fire breaks out in Mingala Taungnyunt Tsp, leaves 17 dead, 83 injured 140 households accommodated at relief camps

YANGON, 29 Dec -A fire broke out in Mingala Taungnyunt Township this morning, killing 17 people, injuring 83, leaving 140 households homeless and engulfing 16 warehouses, destroying four fire engines, warehouses, houses and two monasteries.

The fire started around 1.40 am at the warehouse No. 80 which stored TVs, EVDs and DVDs electronics and spread to the warehouse No.79 storing herbal materials for medicines including 400 bags of salammoniac, 400 bags of yellow orpiment, 20 bags of saltpetre, 50 bags of rauwolfia, 200 bags of odoriferous medicinal salt, 100 bags of borax, 50 bags of red sandalwood and 100 bags of liquorice.

An explosion occurred due to chemical reaction of the herbal materials, destroying four fire engines.

The fire engulf sixteen of 42 warehouses, destroying 26 warehouses, two quarters near the warehouses, 18 rooms, 76 houses in Kadoseik Road in Kadoseik Ward, Kemawuntha Monastery and one monastery which is under construction and one religious building.

The explosion left a 15-foot-deep and 40-footwide crater. Yangon Region Minister for Security and Border Affairs Col Tin Win, Yangon Region Minister for Social Affairs Dr Myint Thein and officials of the Myanmar Police Force and Fire Services Department arrived at the scene and 57 fire engines, nine command vehicles and seven water carriers fought the fire and controlled it at 6.45 am.

The fire killed 12 men and five women. The injured 65 men and 18 women were brought to Yangon General Hospital.

Five of the dead and 33 of the injured were firefighters.

The deadly fire left over 1000 people : 458 men and 592 women : from 140 households homeless and they were temporarily accommodated in relief shelters set up at two basic education primary schools and Maha Wizaya Yama Monastery in Mingala Taungnyunt Township.

Specialists Group of the Ministry of Health and doctors of the Tatmadaw medical unit, Mingala Taungnyunt Township Free Health Care Services Society, Phyo Health Care Services Society and social organizations have provided health care services, accommodation and food to the fire victims.

Meanwhile, wellwishers donated relief aids and food to them.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and the loss caused by the fire is under scrutiny.

The explosion rocked Yangon and broke windowpanes and destroyed windows of the buildings and homes in many townships in Yangon Region. Flying debris caused by the explosion also hit watercrafts in the Pazaundaung Creek.