The authorities successfully removed homemade explosives that had been planted on the Yangon-Mawlamyine Railway Bridge BR-75, located near Don Wun Station in Don Wun Village, Thaton Township, according to the statements of the security forces and people close to them.

Locals found the homemade explosives planted on the Yangon-Mawlamyine Railway Bridge BR-75 between mileposts 120/23 and 24 near the Don Wun Station in Don Wun Village, Thaton Township at about 8:30 am on May 17, and informed the relevant authorities, a person close to the security forces said.

He continued, “The railway bridge is only ten feet in length. Three homemade remote mines were found planted on the railway tracks and the railings, so the relevant authorities went there in time and destroyed them. Then, the homemade mines were detonated.”

He also said that security forces also cleared the railway and the surrounding areas.

On May 6, at around 5:30 am, the 80-foot-long bridge (65), also known as the Sin Yoe Chaung River Bridge, between Hnin Pale Station and Taung Son Station on the Yangon-Mawlamyine Railway near Thin Taw Gyi Village, Kaw Ka Dut Village Tract, Bilin Township, was detonated and destroyed by a mine, causing a 40-foot-long section of the bridge to collapse.

Due to this situation, Yangon-Mawlamyine Up and Down trains were temporarily suspended from May 6 and resumed operations on May 10.

Since February 1, 2021, railway bridges, passenger trains, and freight trains on the Yangon-Mawlamyine railway have been detonated and destroyed at least 13 times, according to local sources.