The junta has intensified its operations ahead of elections later this month. Rights groups say the military has increased air attacks every year since its 2021 coup, which pushed the country from a decade of limited democracy into a violent civil war.

Despite the ongoing conflict, the junta plans to hold elections on Dec 28, calling them a path toward peace. But rebel groups have vowed to block voting in their territories, where heavy clashes continue.

Aid worker Wai Hun Aung said the airstrike targeted the general hospital in Mrauk-U, an ancient town in western Rakhine state near the Bangladesh border, on Wednesday evening.

He described the scene as horrifying. “The situation is very terrible,” he said. He confirmed 31 deaths so far and warned the toll may rise. Another 68 people were injured, and more casualties were expected.

Read more: UAE tops but what is Pakistan’s rank in most powerful nations’ list?

A junta spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

Overnight, at least 20 covered bodies lay outside the hospital. When daylight arrived, it showed that an entire hospital wing had been destroyed. Beds were buried under rubble, stone and twisted metal.

A large tree near the hospital had been split by the explosion. A deep crater marked the ground where the bomb struck, as families gathered their dead for burial.

Local carpenter Maung Bu Chay said the airstrike killed three of his family members — his wife, daughter-in-law and her father. He said he heard the explosion from his village but did not know where it had landed until later.

When he learned the hospital building was destroyed, he realised his loved ones had not survived. He said he felt deep anger and pain, describing the loss as unbearable.

The attack shows that the fighting in Myanmar is getting worse. Even hospitals are no longer safe. Many families lost loved ones in seconds. The elections planned by the military do not seem to calm the conflict. People are scared because violence is growing instead of slowing down.