Yangon: A total of 285 people were killed and 1,073 others injured across Myanmar during a four-day water festival, media reports said.
The deaths were 13 more than that of last year’s event.
Meanwhile, a total of 1,200 criminal cases were also registered during the water festival, according to international news agency reported.
The Information Ministry says 1,200 Thingyan festival-related incidents were registered and 285 people died and 1,073 people were injured in the whole country during the 2017 Thingyan festival.
It further said this figure is more than the last year’s. In the 2016 Thingyan festival, there were 967 cases registered, 272 dead and 1,086 injured.
Napyitaw Police Col. Zaw Khin Aung told media person, “There are no heinous crimes registered in our Naypyitaw Council territory. We have only minor cases of brawling and scolding each other. No significant cases were registered in Naypyitaw Thingyan this year.”
Among the deaths, 10 were in Nay Pyi Taw, 44 in Yangon, 36 in Mandalay, 26 in Sagaing region, 11 in Tanintharyi region, 37 in Bago region, 11 in Magway region, 20 in Mon state, 17 in Rakhine, 29 in Shan state and 28 in Ayeyawaddy region.
The criminal cases were related to murder, car accident, drug-use, theft, arm possession and group violence respectively.
This year’s traditional Thingyan water festival ran from Thursday to Sunday.
During last year’s water festival, a total of 272 people were killed and 1,086 others injured.
