
Three explosions in Burma's former capital city, Rangoon, have killed at least nine people, reports say.
The blasts happened in a park by Kandawgyi Lake as residents marked the New Year water festival.
Reports said many people had been injured and one hospital official said the death toll was expected to rise.
It is not clear what caused the explosions. Burma's generals usually blame blasts on dissidents or ethnic groups fighting for more autonomy.
Bomb blasts occur sporadically in and around Rangoon, which is the military-ruled nation's commercial hub.
But co-ordinated attacks which cause a large number of casualties are very rare.
Reports said the explosions happened at about 1500 local time (0830 GMT) near pavilions erected for the celebrations.
Witnesses said the emergency ward of Rangoon hospital was closed to outsiders after at least 30 injured people were rushed there, AP news agency reported.
One described a scene of chaos and commotion, with injured people arriving drenched in blood and people crying and moaning.
The blasts come as Burma prepares to hold its first elections in two decades.
Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, has already said it will not take part because of election laws which it says are unjust.
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