45-year-old Aik Lut was from Khai Hio village, and hit a tree while rushing to take refuge in a nearby monastery.

A 45-year-old man died earlier this month after crashing his motorbike while escaping from armed conflict near his home in northern Shan State’s Hsipaw Township.

Aik Lut was from Khai Hio village, and hit a tree while rushing to take refuge in a nearby monastery on January 14. He was first treated at Hsipaw public hospital before being transferred to Mandalay two days later. He died upon arriving in Mandalay.

“It was about 8:00 p.m. We heard the sound of guns shooting, and then we suddenly fled with fear,” Aik Maung, a fellow Khai Hio villager, told SHAN. “The front light of [Aik Lut’s] motorbike was not good. He hit a tree at the entrance to the village when he was running away, then he fell unconscious.”

Describing [Aik Lut’s] situation as “critical,” Aik Maung said local volunteers took him to the hospital.

According to volunteers, more than 80 villagers have fled and taken refuge in Khai Hio monastery due to the severity of clashes on the night of January 14. Currently, there are around 980 internally displaced people (IDPs) in Ner Makhaw monastery.

The Restoration Council of Shan State and the Shan State Progress Party have been repeatedly clashing in the area. Members of the Shan community have called on them to meet for talks and to cease fighting one another.