Explosion at notorious Myanmar prison kills 8

Oct. 19 (UPI) -- An explosion rocked Myanmar's largest prison that houses many of its political prisoners, killing three staffers and five visitors on Wednesday, officials said.

The Insein Prison in Yangon, which holds about 10,000 inmates, suffered damage in its postal room when the parcel-packaged bombs went off. Another bomb later found wrapped in a plastic bag, did not detonate.

One of the civilian victims was the mother of known student activist "James" Lin Htet Naing, who was delivering a care package to her son at the time of the blast. No group has taken responsibility for the bombing so far.

The heavily guarded prison is known for its poor treatment of inmates and its harsh conditions.

Myanmar's military junta government, which has been in control since a coup last year, had prevented in-person visits to the prison as part of its COVID-19 pandemic mitigations. Critics have said the junta has actually used the restrictions to cut off communications between the prisoners and the outside world.