Deadly Myanmar Warehouse Blast Kills Dozens
Is this an inevitable result of military coup chaos or a failure of armed group accountability?
Above: An infographic of a deadly explosion in Myanmar on June 1. Image credit: Bedirhan Demirel/Anadolu/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
The Myanmar military's 2021 coup created the lawless conditions that made this disaster inevitable — groups like the TNLA now store massive quantities of unstable explosives with zero safety oversight at the peril of everyday residents.
Narrative B
The TNLA acknowledged storing the explosives and also vowed to investigate and hold those responsible accountable. This is a deep tragedy that is being probed and prosecuted.