18 April 2026 By Ra Wai
THATON, Myanmar — At least 11 people, including eight Buddhist monks, have been killed following a horrific head-on collision between a passenger bus and a light truck in Thaton Township on Saturday afternoon.
The accident occurred at approximately 4:45 PM near Naung Bo village on the main highway. Local rescue workers reported that five monks and a novice died instantly at the scene, along with three laypeople. Two additional monks later succumbed to their injuries after being transported to a hospital.
“The impact was incredibly powerful,” a local first responder told MPA. “The passengers on the large bus were unharmed, but everyone on the light truck was either killed or seriously injured. Most died on the spot because the vehicles collided at such high speed.”
The victims on the light truck were reportedly returning from a pilgrimage to the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda (the Golden Rock), a prominent Buddhist site. They were members of the Shwe Hintha Nyinaung Monastery located in Taw Taw Mu village, on the outskirts of Thaton.
According to witnesses and local residents, the accident was triggered when a “Mandalar” express bus, heading towards Yangon, attempted to overtake another vehicle. In doing so, it entered the opposite lane and struck the oncoming light truck, which was travelling back towards Thaton.
“The light truck was hit directly. Not a single person on that vehicle escaped injury,” a Thaton resident said.
In addition to the 11 fatalities, ten others were injured in the crash. One victim in critical condition has been rushed to the Yangon General Hospital for emergency surgery, while the remaining survivors are being treated at the Thaton Public Hospital.
The Yangon-Mawlamyine highway is notorious for fatal accidents, often blamed on poor road conditions and reckless driving. This latest tragedy occurs during the end of the traditional New Year period, a time when roads are typically crowded with pilgrims and travellers returning home.
Local authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. As the community mourns the loss of the revered monks, the incident has once again highlighted the urgent need for improved road safety enforcement on Myanmar’s major transit corridors.
