285 killed, over 1000 injured during Myanmar's Thingyan Water Festival

At least 285 people were killed and 1,073 others injured during a four-day annual Thingyan Water Festival across Myanmar.

This year deaths were 13 more than that of last year's figures of 273. Meanwhile, a total of 1,200 criminal cases related to murder, car accident, drug-use, theft, arm possession and group violence were also registered during the water festival which ran from Thursday to Sunday.

Among the deaths, 10 were in Nay Pyi Taw, 44 in Yangon, 36 in Mandalay, 26 in Sagaing region, 11 in Tanintharyi region, 37 in Bago region, 11 in Magway region, 20 in Mon state, 17 in Rakhine, 29 in Shan state and 28 in Ayeyawaddy region, Xinhua news agency reported.

The water festival is celebrated to welcome the traditional New Year.