Tragic Landslide in Myanmar's Jade Mines Claims Lives and Highlights Industry Dangers

An overnight landslide in Myanmar's Hpakant township, a jade mining hub, claimed a dozen lives and left many missing. About 50 houses were affected in a region noted for its lucrative, but dangerous, jade mining. The instability is worsened by conflict and weather conditions.

An overnight landslide in Myanmar's northern Kachin State has claimed at least 12 lives, including those of four children, and left many missing. Residents and rescuers reported that about 50 houses were either buried or damaged as the debris swept through the jade mining area.

The disaster struck early Monday in the remote Hpakant township, around 950 km north of Yangon. This region is a central hub for the lucrative jade mining industry, but it's also an area shaken by sporadic clashes between the Myanmar army and ethnic guerrilla forces.

Local sources indicate that 30 to 50 people might be unaccounted for following the landslide, attributed to the unstable grounds created by large-scale waste pouring from nearby mining operations. The area has a history of such tragic incidents, feeding a billion-dollar industry that fuels both the military government and ethnic armed groups.

(With inputs from agencies.)