Offline message app downloaded 600,000 times in hours after Myanmar coup

Myanmar Army armored vehicles drive past a street after they seized power in a coup in Mandalay, Myanmar February 2, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Offline messaging app Bridgefy said it was downloaded more than 600,000 times in a few hours in Myanmar, after the country's military seized power on Monday and temporarily disrupted internet traffic.

The Mexico-based startup, which gained popularity during Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests in 2020, tweeted that it hoped people in Myanmar would find its app "useful during tough times."