A military vehicle transporting Burmese army troops crashed in Mongpyin Township in eastern Shan State on Tuesday evening, resulting in the deaths of 18 servicemen with the remaining soldiers seriously injured.

A medical staffer from Mongpyin hospital told DVB that the truck was part of an army convoy travelling on a mountain road between the villages of Panpong and Honagyaung under heavy rain when it apparently slid over a cliff.

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Other media have reported that the ravine was some 90 metres high, though DVB could not confirm that.

“The 18 dead and three injured were all government soldiers including captains and high-ranking officers,” she said.

“The three survivors were later transferred to a better equipped hospital in Kengtung as they had sustained serious injuries.”

A funeral for the deceased will be held on Thursday, she said.