An airstrike by Myanmar’s military on Kyauktaw township in Rakhine state has killed at least 50 people and injured 58, drawing sharp condemnation from the United Nations.

Residents and rescue workers said the strike hit a crowded area, and women and children were among those killed. The death toll rose as bodies were recovered from the rubble.

The UN said it was alarmed by the reports and stressed that conditions do not exist for the safe return of Rohingya refugees sheltering in Bangladesh. Nearly a million refugees remain in camps at Cox’s Bazar.

The military junta has intensified airstrikes as it loses ground to ethnic armed groups across the country. Rakhine has seen some of the fiercest fighting in recent months.

Rights groups have called for an international investigation into the strike. The junta rarely comments on civilian casualty reports, and independent verification remains difficult. Humanitarian agencies said medical supplies in the area are running critically low after the strike.