At Least 50 Dead in Landslide at Myanmar Jade Mine, Workers Buried by Wave of Mud Caused by Heavy Rain
A minimum of 50 folks died on Thursday after a landslide at a jade mine in northern Myanmar trapped staff beneath a mound of refuse, government stated.
The miners have been accumulating stones within the jade-rich Hpakant space of Kachin state when a wave of dust brought about via heavy rain buried them, the fire provider division stated in a Fb put up.
“Now in overall 50 useless our bodies,” the put up stated. “We’re nonetheless operating at the rescue procedure.”
Fatal landslides and different injuries are commonplace within the poorly regulated mines of Hpakant.
Media have reported ratings of folks killed in Hpakant in recent times, a lot of them freelance “jade pickers” who scour tailings – the residue from mining – for stones which were neglected via higher operators.
Tar Lin Maung, a knowledge ministry legit in Hpakant, advised Reuters via telephone the landslide on Thursday took place within the early morning.
Reliable gross sales of jade in Myanmar have been price 671 million euros ($750.04 million) in 2016-17, in keeping with knowledge printed via the federal government as a part of an Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.
However mavens consider the actual price of the trade, which basically exports to China, is far higher.
