By AFP
YANGON — Two people were killed and 22 wounded when a bomb exploded Wednesday at a bank in Lashio, officials said, amid continuing violence despite a fraught peace process.
Two female staffers at a branch of Yoma Bank were killed, a security officer on the scene told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“Some nearby buildings were destroyed as well. The explosion was quite heavy. Security is still working to clear the area,” the officer said.
The commander-in-chief’s office said late Wednesday that 22 people had been injured.
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Pictures showed shattered windows at the bank, damaged cars on the street and rescue services arriving. Soldiers were deployed at the scene.
A branch of an adjoining bank was damaged by the explosion.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Government spokesman U Zaw Htay wrote on his Facebook page that two “innocent women” died in the bombing, while Yoma Bank issued a statement of condolence.
“Yoma Bank is deeply sorry for this loss. We have to stand together united as ‘One Bank’ under this sorrowful situation,” it said.
Some two dozen conflicts are festering around Myanmar’s borderlands, where ethnic armed groups have for decades fought the state for more autonomy.
