Four people, including two children, were injured after an unexploded ordnance (UXO) device detonated in Hsenwi Township, northern Shan State, an area currently controlled by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), according to local residents.

The explosion occurred at around 8 a.m. on May 16 in farmland near Pein Sar Village in Hsenwi Township. A local resident told SHAN the device was believed to be unexploded ordnance left behind during the “Operation 1027” conflict.

According to residents, an adult had brought the unexploded device to the farmland, where children later found it and began handling it.

“One of the adults brought the bomb back to the farm. The children later found it and were playing with it when it exploded,” a local man from Hsenwi told SHAN. “One of the girls was seriously injured.”

The injured were identified as 41-year-old U Kyar Wa, 42-year-old Daw Na Ti, a seven-year-old boy named David, and a 10-year-old girl named Esther.

Local sources said all four victims were initially taken to Hsenwi Public Hospital for treatment. Due to the severity of her injuries, Esther was later transferred to Laukkaing Hospital, where doctors amputated one of her legs.

The incident highlights the continuing danger posed by unexploded ordnance and landmines in northern Shan State after years of armed conflict.

Earlier this month, on May 11, a man from Pan Haik Village in Kyaukme Township was killed after an RPG-type explosive device detonated while he was attempting to dismantle it for resale, according to local reports.

Residents and local organizations continue to urge the public not to touch or transport unexploded weapons, landmines, or suspicious metal objects, warning that many areas affected by past fighting remain contaminated with explosive remnants of war.

According to figures released by UNICEF Myanmar, Shan State recorded 245 casualties — including deaths and injuries caused by landmines and explosive remnants of war — in 2025. The figure accounted for 36 percent of all such casualties nationwide, making Shan State the region with the highest number of victims in Myanmar.