Military boat collides with warship in Monywa, sinking and killing 20 including an officer

AYEYARWADDY TIMES July 15 A small boat carrying personnel from a military vessel docked at Monywa Township, Sagaing Region, capsized and sank, killing 20 people, including a military officer, according to local sources. Twenty-four crew members from a military vessel, which was unloading cement bags and fuel at Monywa port, were traveling to the port in a small boat around 1:30 PM on July 14 when they were swept by strong currents, collided with the underside of the warship, and sank. "A military officer and naval personnel who were descending from the large warship to the shore in a boat had their boat capsize. Only four survived. The rest all died. They are still searching for the bodies," a local resident told the Ayeyarwaddy Times. According to eyewitness accounts from some local residents, the small boat was swept by strong currents and collided with the underside of the warship, causing it to sink. Four people on board survived the capsizing, while the remaining 20, including a military officer, drowned. Currently, military personnel and rescue teams are searching for the bodies in the water, but as of today, July 15, not all bodies have been recovered. Similarly, the People's Defence Force (PDF) of Phyu Bin Township has issued an emergency alert stating that a fleet of 22 military motorboats belonging to the military government has begun to ascend the Chindwin River towards Phyu Bin Township starting at 5 AM today, July 15. As military convoys traverse the Chindwin River, there is a possibility of indiscriminate firing with heavy and small arms. Therefore, local defense forces have urged residents living along the Chindwin River and those using the river for travel and work to quickly evacuate to safe and secure locations.