Myanmar’s shadow government said on Monday that an airstrike carried out by the ruling junta resulted in the deaths of at least 17 students and left 20 others injured at a school located in an opposition-controlled region, despite the existence of a ceasefire following a recent major earthquake.
The school, run by the shadow National Unity Government (NUG), is located in the Sagaing region of central Myanmar's town of Depayin, around 160 kilometers north of Mandalay and close to the epicenter of the March 28 earthquake.
"According to the information we have so far, 17 students have been killed and 20 injured," NUG spokesperson Nay Phone Latt said.
He also said: "Some may have been missing due to bomb damage, so the death toll could be higher."
Since the military used deadly force to quell protesters against its return to power in a coup in 2021, Myanmar has been engulfed in turmoil. The military has been having difficulty governing and has lost ground in its fight against a resistance movement connected to the NUG and an uprising by ethnic minority troops.
