Dozens of people have been killed after an airstrike at a music festival in northern Myanmar’s Kachin State.

News of the deaths in the airstrike by the Myanmar junta was released via a spokesperson for the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO).

The festival at A Nang Pa in jade-rich Hpakant Township on Sunday, 23rd October was being held in honour of the 62nd anniversary of the founding of the KIO which took place on 25th October.

According to reports, the air strike was carried out by three Myanmar military fighter jets when they dropped bombs on the location mid-way through the festival late Sunday, killing at least 50 people including four performers.

Later reports indicated the death toll has reached 100.

Many others were left badly injured with pictures taken after the seizure and devastation caused by the bombing that comes just three days before Southeast Asian foreign ministers are to hold a special meeting in Indonesia to discuss widening violence in Myanmar.

This comes during a lull in fighting according to the spokesperson of the organisation Col Naw Bu, who said: “There was no fighting that had broken out between us and the military.

“They bombed the event on purpose knowing that there were many civilians there. This is inhumane and a war crime.”

A spokesman for the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) estimated the death toll is higher than 50 and said that many of those killed were “our fellow KBC Christians and they were just regular civilians.”

Among those being killed were the singer Aurai who had been performing at the time as well as the singer Galau Yaw Lwi and a keyboard player named Ko King. Actor Lahtaw Zau Ding was also reportedly among the casualties.

The military coup ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, who earlier this month was sentenced to a further three years in prison and could face a total of 26 years behind bars.