A hot-air balloon laden with combustibles went down in a fiery mishap on Monday evening in Taunggyi, crashing into a local shop and injuring at least 12 people during the annual Tazaungdaing holiday celebrations in the Shan State capital.

Gunpowder used to make fireworks, an integral part of Tazaungdaing full moon holiday celebrations in Shan State, ignited and set fire to five houses in the state capital Taunggyi on Sunday morning, injuring three men who were making the gunpowder.

Plans to build stages for viewing Taunggyi's annual hot-air balloon contests are scrapped after local groups protest the commercialization of the event.

Residents of Taunggyi say that commercialization of Taunngyi's annual hot-air balloon contests will come at the expense of local people.

According to Burmese police, a 56-year-old suspect named Yo Sein confessed yesterday that he killed Ma Shwe Yi Cho when she refused to marry him, then also slashed the children to death in a rage.

Both cases, one in Rangoon and one in Taunggyi, involve young families, including children, who were stabbed to death in their homes for no apparent reason.