Fifteen Buddhist pilgrims including a monk were killed after their flatbed truck plunged off a 300-metre (1,000 feet) cliff in eastern Myanmar, police said Tuesday, blaming faulty brakes.

The accident happened Monday evening in Shan state as the truck carrying 25 people was returning from a Buddhist festival.

Police officer Myint Soe told AFP the cause of the crash was brake failure as the vehicle rounded a turn.

"Fifteen people were found dead while 10 were severely injured," he said, adding that the steep and challenging terrain made for a risky overnight search for victims.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar sees thousands of people travel widely on journeys to religious festivals and pagodas during summer.

But poorly maintained vehicles are often go-to options for cheap travel and the country lags behind others in the region on road construction and safety enforcement.

© AFP