Fire ripped through a UNESCO World Heritage site Myanmar as unrest continues to grip the country following the military coup.

Footage shows one of the buildings in the Pyu ancient city in Hanlin province being engulfed by flames on May 12.

Some locals claimed that the villages were deliberately set on fire due to hostilities between local groups and the military coup. However, the cause of the fire remained unclear.

A local said: ‘This morning, as soon as it was light, I saw smoke coming from the side of Gway Pin Hill. I saw from the pagoda that it was spreading from six places. It did not stop for about 10 hours. They then entered Ywa Thit Kone village and set fire to any tents they found nearby.’

More than 200 houses were reportedly damaged from the burning incidents, forcing residents to flee from 20 villages. No official investigation, however, was done on the incident.

The struggle between armed militias and the Burmese military has intensified amid the political turmoil in Myanmar caused by the ousting of former leader Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. Around the country, thousands of civilians are said to have been killed during military crackdowns on protests.