Manhunt launched after British teacher found dead in Myanmar with head and chest wounds

A manhunt is underway after a British teacher was found dead in Myanmar with "wounds on his chest and head".

The 47-year-old man, believed to be a teacher at an international school, was found in the flat of a British colleague in Yangon after the pair were said to be drinking together.

He was discovered the following day on Saturday morning (5 November) after he did not return home to his wife, who then reported him missing to local police.

Yangon Police have said to AFP reporters that a 25-year-old man, believed to be the dead man's colleague, is wanted in connection with the murder and is at large.

"The victim and defendant are school teachers from Horizon International School and they are friends," a local officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The international school, a private institution that offers kindergarten to high school classes, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from local media outlets.

Yangon is Myanmar's largest city, with a population of six million people. The city, formerly known as Rangoon, was the capital until 2006, when newly built city of Naypyidaw took its place.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma under British colonial rule, is located in south-east Asia and is popular among many Brits.

The Straits Times reported that violent crimes involving foreigners are rare in Myanmar.

In contrast, it said, fatalities and accidents involving foreigners frequently make the headlines in neighbouring Thailand – a backpacker magnet, home to a large foreign population.

In September, Thai police arrested three Americans in Bangkok after discovering the frozen body parts of another foreigner inside their freezer.

With regards to the murder of the British man, a spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We are providing help and support to the family of a British national following a death in Rangoon, Burma, and are in touch with the local authorities."