A 53-year-old woman died instantly after stepping on a landmine while harvesting tea leaves near Hu Suon Village in Kyaukme Township, local sources reported.

The victim, identified as Pa Aye Win, a resident of Hu Suon Village, was collecting tea leaves with two companions on the morning of July 15 when the explosion occurred. According to a witness, Pa Aye Win was working on the lower section of the plantation when she triggered the hidden explosive.

“She was with two other women, one farther up the slope and the other nearby,” said a Kyaukme resident in his 20s. “The blast killed her immediately. The others were unharmed, but villagers had to retrieve her body.”

Authorities have not determined which armed group planted the landmine or how long it had been in place. The Hu Suon Village Tract has been a contested zone, with past clashes involving ethnic armed organizations such as the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA).

Tensions in the area remain high following a recent skirmish on June 15, when SSPP/SSA and TNLA forces exchanged gunfire near Hu Suon Village, about 15 miles from Kyaukme town. Both groups later released statements blaming each other for instigating the clash.

As armed conflict continues to endanger civilians in Kyaukme and surrounding regions, SHAN will provide further updates on developments in the area.