At least 30 missing after Myanmar jade mine landslide

At slightest 30 radical are reported missing aft a mudslide astatine a jade excavation successful bluish Myanmar.

The mountainous municipality of Hpakant successful the Kachin authorities is location to the world's biggest and astir lucrative jade mines.

Many of those affected are believed to beryllium locals digging done the mud on the cliffs, galore of whom enactment and unrecorded successful abandoned mining pits.

Lethal landslides are communal successful the country erstwhile dense monsoon rainfall pummels Myanmar betwixt May and October.

At slightest 162 radical died successful a landslide successful the aforesaid country successful July 2020, portion an mishap successful 2015 near much than 110 dead.

Mining operations had been suspended due to the fact that of the rainy season. However, galore of those caught successful the accident, which happened astatine astir 15:30 section clip connected Sunday, were autarkic scavengers looking to find jade.

The aggravated rainfall had loosened monolithic piles of world much than 150m successful height, near implicit from excavations by mining companies, sending the ungraded and debris hurtling down the cliff and sweeping up miners connected the way.

Survivors person besides described a partition of mud, rocks and floodwater overwhelming them arsenic they were digging for jade.

The scenery successful this portion of Myanmar is scarred with hundreds of unregulated mines. These pull immense numbers of migrant workers from different parts of the state who travel to hunt for jade, astir of which ends up being sold successful China.

One rescue idiosyncratic told the Associated Press than 34 radical were missing, portion 8 were injured and were taken to a infirmary connected Sunday.

He said the hunt and rescue efforts were continuing, but immoderate miners had already returned to the country successful the anticipation of uncovering jade.

"We haven't recovered immoderate dormant bodies yet," said the rescue worker, who spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that helium feared being arrested by the military.

Jade mining is an important root of gross for Myanmar's subject government. It besides finances the Kachin Independence Army, an taste equipped group.

For galore years, the subject and Kachin insurgents person fought for power implicit this portion of the Kachin State due to the fact that of its jade mines, estimated to beryllium worth immoderate $30bn (£23.6bn) a year.

There has been predominant warring determination earlier and aft the subject coup successful 2021, which deposed the civilian authorities led by Aung San Suu Kyi.