Myanmar security forces have killed dozens of people on Saturday in the deadliest day since February's military coup, sparking a global wave of condemnation led by the United Nations, dpa news reported today. The UN "is horrified by the needless loss of life today with reports of dozens of people shot dead by the military across the country, in the bloodiest day since the coup," a statement said. Myanmar's military celebrated Armed Forces Day with parades and speeches on Saturday, turning a deaf ear to the increasingly deadly and non-stop protests against its seizure of power last month. The UN in Myanmar said the escalation of violence showed that the military had "turned against its own people," calling the use of deadly force "completely unacceptable." While it is impossible to independently verify the death toll because of Myanmar's crackdown on journalists, a tally by the independent Myanmar Now news portal reported 91 killed in 40 towns and cities. A count by the Irrawaddy newspaper put the toll at 59 dead, among them three children aged 7, 10 and 13 years. Protests took place in large parts of the country, including the commercial metropolis of Yangon, northern Mandalay region and the southern city of Bago. Military personnel and police officers are said to have used live ammunition and were shooting to kill. Among the victims was Chit Bo Nyein, a 21-year-old team captain from the Hantharwady United U-21 team, who was shot dead by the military's armed forces on Saturday morning in Yangon while he was helping in his family's tea shop in Insein township, neighbours told dpa. The United States and European Union were among those denouncing the brutality on display in the streets of the South-East Asian nation. "On Myanmar's Armed Forces Day, security forces are murdering unarmed civilians, including children, the very people they swore to protect. This bloodshed is horrifying. These are not the actions of a professional military or police force," a US embassy statement said. The EU mission in Myanmar described Saturday as "a day of terror and dishonour." "The killing of unarmed civilians, including children, are indefensible acts. The EU stands by the people of Myanmar and calls for an immediate end of violence and the restoration of democracy," the delegation wrote. British ambassador Dan Chugg said on Twitter that the security forces had "disgraced themselves by shooting unarmed civilians."