Airstrike Destroys Hospital in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, Dozens Killed

Airstrike Destroys Hospital in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, Dozens Killed
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At least 30 people, including patients, were killed after an airstrike struck a hospital in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, Reuters reported. More than 70 others were injured, according to the Arakan Army, an aid worker and a witness. The blast hit the Mrauk U General Hospital late Wednesday, with the rebel group saying bombs dropped by a military aircraft caused the facility’s complete destruction.

Reuters said that a junta spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk condemned the strike, warning it may constitute a war crime and calling for an investigation. A U.S. State Department spokesperson described the reports as “disturbing” and urged the military government to halt attacks on civilians and allow humanitarian access.

The hospital, a 300-bed facility, had been overcrowded due to widespread suspension of healthcare services amid intensified conflict in the state. Images shared by aid workers showed the building reduced to rubble, though the visuals could not be immediately verified. Survivors said they rushed to the scene to find the structure ablaze and bodies scattered outside. Remaining patients were later moved to safety.

Myanmar has faced escalating violence since the military seized power in 2021. Rights monitors say the junta has increasingly relied on airstrikes, conducting more than 2,100 this year. The Arakan Army, which controls most of Rakhine’s townships following the collapse of a ceasefire in 2023, said there had been no recent fighting in Mrauk U prior to the attack.