Deadly shooting at Kyaiktiyo Pagoda kills at least three, injuring 19
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NP News - Oct 12
Shooting committed by terrorists at Kyaiktiyo Pagoda’s Kinpun base camp this morning killed at least three pilgrims and injured at least 19.
The famous Kyaiktiyo Pagoda is located in Kyaikhto township, Mon State.
The incident happened on 12th October at an estimated 10:25 am. The Kyaiktiyo Pagoda’s trustees, in recent days, announced the opening season of travelling the pagoda.
Worst of all, current moment is Buddhists’ Thadingyut festival period in Myanmar and many pilgrims from different places of the country are visiting the Kyiktiyo Pagoda at the moment.
“They fired at the gate of the base camp with small weapons. We're sure that they are the PDFs. And they fired with 40 MM guns. Three women were hit and died in the incident,” Mon State Government’s spokesperson Aung Kyi Thein confirmed NP News.
Three female pilgrims died at the scene. Other nine men and ten women, altogether 19 civilians, were wounded.
Authorities sent the injured persons to the Kyaikhto Hospital for medical treatment. Ten among the wounded persons are at the severe conditions at life-threatening situations.
Three women, namely Khin Ma, Aye Aye Kyi and Kyawk Kay Khine who died in the incident are the pilgrims came from Yangon’s Thingangyun township.
Fire exchange occurred then as the counter-terrorism forces responded and shot back.
“They shouldn’t commit such gun shooting. Especially this time of the year is the pilgrimage time in Myanmar,” Aung Kyi Thein said.