The casualty count from a military air raid in western Myanmar increased to 50 on Tuesday, according to two local aid workers operating on the ground, a day after the strike hit a congested marketplace.

Witness accounts indicate that the military carried out a aerial bombing of the riverside commercial district in Kyauktaw town, located within Rakhine state, around noon (0530 GMT) on Monday, when initial reports placed the fatality count at approximately 30.

"The death toll has reached 50, and 58 people were injured," stated relief worker Wai Hun Aung, who cautioned that the ultimate casualty tally could rise further as multiple bodies were incinerated in fires sparked by the bombardment.

A second local rescue volunteer corroborated the updated death toll, speaking under condition of anonymity due to personal security concerns.

Efforts to reach representatives of the Myanmar military for official comment regarding the strike were unsuccessful.

Source: AFP