14-8-2023 (YANGON) A devastating landslide at a jade mine in Hpakant, a remote town in Myanmar’s Kachin state, has left over 30 people missing. The incident occurred on Sunday, prompting a search and rescue operation that is currently underway, according to a rescue official.
Hpakant, located approximately 950 kilometers north of Yangon, is renowned for its jade mines, which are considered the largest and most profitable in the world. The area is characterized by its mountainous terrain and has been a hub for jade mining activities.
The leader of a local rescue team, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to concerns of potential repercussions from the military, stated that more than 30 miners were caught in the landslide while they were working in search of jade near Manna village around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Earth and debris from multiple mines in the vicinity cascaded down a cliff, traveling a distance of 304 meters before striking the miners and falling into a nearby lake.
As of Monday, 34 individuals have been confirmed as missing, and local rescue teams are currently scouring the lake in search of survivors. Eight miners who were injured during the incident were transported to a local hospital on Sunday.
One miner, wishing to remain anonymous out of fear for his safety, recounted that three of his colleagues were swept into the lake by the force of the landslide. He highlighted that the majority of the victims were male.
Such accidents, although not uncommon, often occur on a smaller scale and receive limited attention. Typically, the victims are independent miners who settle in the vicinity of large mounds of discarded earth left behind by mining companies. These miners scavenge for fragments of jade and typically reside and work in abandoned mining pits located at the base of unstable earth mounds.
Many of these scavengers are unregistered migrants from other regions seeking opportunities in the jade industry.
In a similar tragedy in July 2020, at least 162 people lost their lives in a landslide in the same area. Additionally, a landslide in November 2015 claimed the lives of 113 individuals. rights activists argue that jade mining serves as a significant source of revenue for Myanmar’s military-led government. Critics of the military regime advocate for sanctions and boycotts to curb jade sales.
The jade mines also provide a vital source of income for the Kachin Independence Army, an ethnic armed group based in Kachin state that has been engaged in a prolonged struggle for greater autonomy against the central government.
Since the military seized power in February 2021, after ousting the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, a ceasefire in the region has been disrupted. The area has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the military and the Kachin Independence Army, resulting in the displacement of numerous civilians into refugee camps and nearby townships.
