Monsoon rains have battered the jade mining area in northern Myanmar, causing soil and mining waste from an abandoned mine to collapse on jade scavengers. At least five have died, while about 15 remain missing.
The Global New Light of Myanmar, the government’s official media outlet, reported that a tragic landslide of mining waste and soil buried jade scavengers near Nammo village in Hpakant township, Kachin State, northern Myanmar.
The incident occurred late on Sunday night (28 June). Reports said about 20 jade scavengers were using spotlights to search for jade fragments left in the abandoned mine area when a large pile of mining waste and debris suddenly collapsed on them due to continuous heavy monsoon rains. This caused the old mining waste piles to lose stability and collapse.
So far, at least five deaths have been confirmed. Rescue teams have recovered bodies for families to conduct religious rites. Approximately 15 others are still missing, believed buried under soil and rock debris. Local authorities, volunteers, and villagers continue to search for survivors despite heavy ongoing rain and the risk of secondary landslides.
Hpakant in Kachin State is known as the world’s largest and highest-quality jade mining area. Jade is highly valued in Asian cultures and commands huge markets in China. However, Myanmar’s jade mining industry largely lacks proper regulation, resulting in frequent deadly accidents, especially during the monsoon season when heavy rains erode soil and steep waste piles, causing collapses.
Additionally, the villagers scavenging jade scraps from abandoned mines left by large companies are among the lowest-paid laborers who risk their lives in dangerous conditions to make a living. In recent months, Hpakant has also become a fierce battleground between Myanmar’s military and opposition forces fighting to control and profit from the jade mining business since the 2021 military coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government.
. Source: AFP /Xinhua