No casualties after Yangon supermarket bombings

By HEIN KO SOE | FRONTIER

YANGON — Police are scanning CCTV footage for clues as to who was behind a series of homemade bombs that exploded at a busy Yangon shopping centre on Sunday evening.

Three bombs exploded at a Capital Hypermarket at Dawbon Township, police and witnesses said. There were no reports of injuries.

Members of the Tatmadaw’s bomb squad soon arrived and closed the market, gathering evidence and checking for more explosive devices.

Bomb squad members told Frontier as they left the shopping mall late on Sunday that the bombs appeared to be homemade. Other sources at the scene said they had consisted of chemicals and gunpowder place inside glass bottles.

Support more independent journalism like this. Sign up to be a Frontier member.

The bombs detonated at 15-minute intervals, with the first exploding near a YKKO restaurant on the first floor at 5:15pm, said Ma Thiri, who owns a fashion shop in market.

“When we heard the sound of the explosion, we quickly closed the shop and ran out of the market. I didn’t see anyone who was hurt from the explosion,” she said.

U Ant Kuu, a Myanmar Red Cross Society volunteer responsible Dawbon and Thaketa townships, confirmed to Frontier that “nobody was injured of effected” by the explosion. 

Shortly after the blast, Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein and some cabinet members arrived at the Capital Hypermarket.

A duty officer at Dawbon Township police station said officers were making further inquiries and were hopeful that CCTV footage would provide clues as to the identity of the culprit or culprits.

However, the officer declined to give any further information.

The bombing is the second to occur at a Yangon shopping centre in three days, after two devices exploded at Ocean Supercentre in Mayangone on November 17.

More stories

Latest Issue

Stories in this issue
Myanmar enters 2021 with more friends than foes
The early delivery of vaccines is one of the many boons of the country’s geopolitics, but to really take advantage, Myanmar must bury the legacy of its isolationist past.
Will the Kayin BGF go quietly?
The Kayin State Border Guard Force has come under intense pressure from the Tatmadaw over its extensive, controversial business interests and there’s concern the ultimatum could trigger fresh hostilities in one of the country’s most war-torn areas.

Support our independent journalism and get exclusive behind-the-scenes content and analysis

Stay on top of Myanmar current affairs with our Daily Briefing and Media Monitor newsletters.

Sign up for our Frontier Fridays newsletter. It’s a free weekly round-up featuring the most important events shaping Myanmar