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15 Myanmar pilgrims killed as truck plunges off cliff
YANGON, Oct 29, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Fifteen Buddhist pilgrims including a monk
were killed after their flatbed truck plunged off a 300-metre (1,000 feet)
cliff in eastern Myanmar, police said Tuesday, blaming faulty brakes.
The accident happened Monday evening in Shan state as the truck carrying
25 people was returning from a Buddhist festival.
Police officer Myint Soe told AFP the cause of the crash was brake failure
as the vehicle rounded a turn.
“Fifteen people were found dead while 10 were severely injured,” he said,
adding that the steep and challenging terrain made for a risky overnight
search for victims.
Buddhist-majority Myanmar sees thousands of people travel widely on
journeys to religious festivals and pagodas during summer.
But poorly maintained vehicles are often go-to options for cheap travel
and the country lags behind others in the region on road construction and
safety enforcement.
BSS/AFP/SSS/1821 hrs