Four people killed and seven were injured in a car accident on Monday while fleeing the conflict between the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Restoration Council of Shan State/ Shan State Army-South (RCSS/SSA-S) in Kyaukme Township, according to a local source.

Sai Leik, a local aid worker in Kyaukme Township, told SHAN that the accident happened at about 8 p.m. near Ban Korn village while a vehicle carrying more than 20 people heading to Kyaukme Township to seek shelters crashed.

“A monk died at the scene, he said. “The other three; Nang Seng Aung, Sai Ai Maung and Nang Mo Leng were pronounced dead at the local hospital.”

He explained that the accident occurred because the vehicle had no torch light.

Since February 10, over 2,000 villagers from Ban San, Ban Korn, Kang Kan, Taw Sang and Wan Lone village had left their homes.

The fight between TNLA and RCSS/SSA-S troops broke out on November 27 last year, just over one month after the signing of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) on October 15 between the government and eight country’s armed groups. RCSS/SSA-S was among the signatories, but the TNLA was excluded by the government from signing.