A tragic attack in central Myanmar has left at least 24 people dead and 47 others injured after bombs were dropped from a paramotor during a local festival, according to the country’s exiled National Unity Government.
The incident took place on Monday evening in Chaung U township, where around 100 people had gathered to celebrate the Thadingyut festival – one of Myanmar’s most cherished holidays marking the end of Buddhist Lent. The peaceful gathering also doubled as a candlelight protest against the country’s ruling military junta.
As people lit candles and sang prayers, witnesses say a motor-powered paraglider suddenly appeared above the crowd and dropped two bombs. Chaos followed as explosions tore through the festival site. Nine people from the same family were among those killed, and many of the wounded were children.
Members of the anti-junta People’s Defence Force said they had received a warning about a possible air attack just minutes before it happened. “We tried to end the event quickly, but the paramotor reached us within seven minutes,” one local fighter told BBC Burmese. “When the first bomb hit, I dropped to the ground. People next to me were killed instantly.”
Locals described a horrifying scene in the aftermath, with bodies scattered and burned beyond recognition. One woman who helped organize the vigil told AFP that mourners were still collecting body parts the following morning. “Children were completely torn apart,” she said quietly.
Amnesty International condemned the assault, calling it part of a “disturbing new trend” by Myanmar’s military. The group noted that junta forces have increasingly turned to paramotors lightweight motorized gliders to carry out attacks as international sanctions have made it harder for them to acquire planes and helicopters.
“This attack should serve as a gruesome wake-up call,” said Joe Freeman, Amnesty International’s Myanmar researcher. “Civilians in Myanmar urgently need protection. Asean and the global community must stop pretending that diplomacy alone will end this nightmare.”
Myanmar has been in turmoil since a 2021 military coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The coup sparked widespread protests, which later evolved into a nationwide civil war between the junta and resistance groups. According to the United Nations, more than 5,000 civilians have been killed since then a number that continues to rise.
At the vigil targeted on Monday, protesters were calling for an end to military conscription, fair elections, and the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. The junta has promised to hold elections in December the first since the coup but critics say the vote will be little more than a show meant to keep the generals in power.
For now, grief and anger dominate Chaung U. What was meant to be a peaceful evening of light and prayer has turned into one of the darkest moments yet in Myanmar’s long struggle for freedom.
