Landslide occurs in Myanmar jade mining area, killing at least 12 people and leaving many missing

Bangkok– A landslide occurred overnight in a jade mining area in northern Myanmar, killing at least a dozen people and leaving many missing, local residents, rescue workers and independent media reported on Monday. They said about 50 homes were buried or damaged.

The accident occurred early Monday in Kachin state's Hpakant town, a remote mountainous area at the heart of the lucrative jade mining industry and about 950 kilometers (600 miles) north of Yangon, Myanmar's largest city. Sporadic fighting has broken out in the area between Myanmar's military and ethnic guerrillas.

Tallin Magnesium, a resident near the accident area, told the Associated Press that 12 bodies, including four children, had been found in Spot Village.

He said about 50 homes were buried under muddy water that seeped from a pond about 300 feet (91 meters) away, where tons of mining debris and waste had been dumped.

Two local rescuers told The Associated Press that finding the missing people was difficult and required large machinery because of the heavy mud. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared reprisals from the military or the guerrillas fighting against them.

Kachin online media reported that about 30 to 50 people may be missing.

Landslides occur several times every year around the Pagan Jade Mine. In July 2020, a landslide in the same area killed at least 162 people, and in November 2015 a landslide killed 113 people.

Most of the victims were independent miners who settled near abandoned mounds excavated by mining companies using heavy machinery. They make a living by scavenging jade, often working and living in abandoned mines at the base of mounds, which become particularly unstable during the rainy season.

Most of the scavengers were unregistered immigrants from other areas, making it difficult to determine how many people were missing after the accident.

It's hard to know the scale of the local jade mining industry due to smuggling and illegal sales, but revenue from the sale of jade, pearls and gemstones in the region is estimated to be in the billions of dollars.

Human rights activists say jade mining is an important source of income for Myanmar's military junta.

The mines are also a major source of revenue for the Kachin Independence Army, an ethnic armed group based in Kachin state that has fought the central government for decades for greater autonomy.

The ceasefire in the region has been interrupted since the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. The region is currently engulfed in conflict, resulting in an influx of civilians into refugee camps and nearby towns.