Survivors of Myanmar’s Landmine Blasts Struggle With Severed Limbs and Shattered Lives
Survivors of landmine blasts in Myanmar are struggling to cope with severed limbs and shattered lives. Many have had to adapt to new ways of earning a livelihood after their injuries, with some resorting to daily wage work or opening small shops. The blasts have not only caused physical harm but also emotional trauma, leaving many survivors confused about their future course of action.
- ▪Sofayatullah from Kung Taung village lost his left ankle in a landmine explosion on December 19, 2023.
- ▪Win Khin, a community leader from Chin State, was blinded and lost her right leg in a landmine blast on January 30, 2024.
- ▪Maung Aung Hlaing had his left leg severed in a landmine blast on August 3, 2024, while returning home from gathering vegetables.
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Photo Essays | Society | Southeast Asia Survivors of Myanmar’s Landmine Blasts Struggle With Severed Limbs and Shattered Lives The pain from their injuries hasn’t gone away. Meanwhile, they face challenges in earning a livelihood. By Rajeev Bhattacharyya June 17, 2026 Sofayatullah from Kung Taung village in Buthidaung township in Myanmar’s Rakhine State had earned a reputation for ferrying the maximum number of boat passengers every day. He also sold firewood occasionally for extra income. All that changed on December 19, 2023, when he placed a pile of firewood at a spot near his village where a landmine planted by the Myanmar military’s Infantry Battalion 551 exploded. “I remember hearing a deafening sound before falling unconscious.
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