Myanmar airstrike death toll hits 50 as families gather bodies

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Families searched for bodies on Tuesday around a charred market in western Myanmar after a military airstrike killed 50 people, one of the deadliest recent bombardments in the civil war.

Witnesses say the military's air force raided the riverside commercial hub in Kyauktaw town in western Rakhine state around midday (0530 GMT) on Monday.

"It breaks my heart to see our people dying," said Aung Chay, still hunting for the remains of his brother-in-law he believes was killed in the attack.

"Civilians are being unjustly murdered, and I can't bear to watch it," the 49-year-old said. "I feel deeply pained and incredibly angry."

It was not possible to contact the Myanmar military for comment on the attack, which had an initial reported death toll of around 30.

"The death toll has reached 50, and 58 people were injured," said aid worker Wai Hun Aung on Tuesday, warning the final fatality figure may be higher because some bodies were lost in fires after the bombing.

A second local volunteer gave the same death toll, requesting anonymity for security reasons.

The Arakan Army, an ethnic rebel force controlling the area, said in a statement that those killed were "innocent passersby, market vendors, shoppers and cargo loaders".

It also reported that 50 people died.

Families gathered in the area to claim bodies covered by thin plastic sheeting or boxed up in plywood coffins under an outdoor pavilion.

"I don't know where to find his body and whom we should ask for help," said Aung Chay.

UN rights chief Volker Turk said the strike underlined the "grave plight faced by civilians across the country but none more so than in Rakhine state".

"For years now, Myanmar has been wracked by extreme violence, and the country's population has been subjected to pervasive human rights violations and abuses," Turk said in a statement.