Strike on festival protest in Myanmar kills at least 20, residents say

A military strike on Monday night hit a group in central Myanmar’s Chaung U township who were gathered to mark the Thadingyut full moon festival and to demonstrate against the military junta that rules the country.

The attack killed at least 20 people, according to a Reuters report that cited an eyewitness, the human rights group Amnesty International, and members of the shadow National Unity Government and an armed resistance group in the area. An event organizer told Agence France-Press that 40 people were killed, including children, while 80 others were wounded.

Screams for help could be heard in bystander video taken at nighttime after the attack, which also showed a burning fire. Another video, recorded in daylight, shows a building that was destroyed and a young man who said he was collecting body parts in the attack’s aftermath.

Hundreds of people had been gathered for the event when the bombs struck after 7 p.m., a member of the committee that organized the event said. She was not at the scene, but she attended funerals on Tuesday.