Myanmar junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said on 24/8 that two armed groups, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the People's Defense Force, "bombed and destroyed" the Gokteik bridge. Another statement from the junta claimed the bridge was "blown up with mines".
A TNLA spokesperson denied the accusation and said the military bombed the bridge.
"The Myanmar military bombed our bases this morning using drones. However, their bombs also hit the Gokteik bridge," said spokesperson Lway Yay Oo.
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The damaged Gokteik bridge on 24/8. Photo: Eleven Myanmar |
The damaged Gokteik bridge on 24/8. Photo: Eleven Myanmar
The Gokteik viaduct is a railway bridge spanning the Goteik gorge in Shan state, connecting the state with Mandalay and attracting many tourists. Standing 102 meters high (measured from the rail track to the ground at the highest pillar), it was the highest bridge in Myanmar and once the highest railway bridge in the world when it opened in 1901 during the British colonial period.
Images on social media showed the bridge partially collapsed and damaged.
The Myanmar military imposed a curfew and declared a state of emergency in February 2021 after a coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government, establishing the National Defense and Security Council (NDSC) to run the country. Since then, the military has been in constant conflict with armed groups within the country.
The towns of Nawnghkio and Kyaukme near the Gokteik bridge have seen intense fighting between the TNLA and the military in recent weeks. The military claimed to have retaken Nawnghkio in July.
Huyen Le (According to AFP)
