More than 45 people die after blast in Myanmar at building storing explosives

A blast at a building in northeastern Myanmar that was reportedly storing explosives used for mining killed more than 45 people on Sunday, according to rescue workers and independent media reports.

The explosion occurred around midday in Kaungtup village in Namhkam Township, an area near the Chinese border. About 70 other people were injured in the blast, which leveled or severely damaged parts of the structure, according to accounts from the scene.

Rescue workers said the building was believed to have been used to store mining explosives, though the exact cause of the explosion has not been independently confirmed. 

One rescue worker who responded to the site told The Associated Press that 46 bodies, including six children, had been recovered by Sunday evening and were taken for cremation.