Disused Myanmar jade mine collapse kills five, 15 missing
Five jade scavengers were killed and around 15 others remain missing after monsoon rains triggered a collapse at a disused mine
At least five people have been killed and around 15 others remain missing after monsoon rains triggered the collapse of a waste heap at a disused jade mine in northern Myanmar.
The accident happened late on Sunday in Hpakant township, Kachin State, the centre of Myanmar’s jade industry and one of the world’s largest sources of jadeite.
Myanmar state media said around 20 freelance jade scavengers were searching the site under floodlights when the old slag heap suddenly gave way, burying them beneath mine waste.
The Global New Light of Myanmar said the collapse followed several days of heavy rain, which had made old mine waste heaps unstable.
“At least five people have been confirmed dead, and around 15 remain missing,” the newspaper reported, adding that search teams were continuing to dig for those still unaccounted for.
The victims were believed to be among local scavengers who enter abandoned mining areas to look for fragments of jade left behind by larger mining operations. Many people in the area rely on the dangerous work to earn a living, despite the risk of landslides and collapsing waste piles.
Hpakant has long been associated with deadly mining accidents, especially during the monsoon season, when heavy rain weakens slopes, unsafe shafts and piles of discarded rock.
Myanmar has a vast and poorly regulated mining sector. Kachin State is known as the world’s largest source of jadeite, a highly prized stone considered auspicious in many Asian cultures and especially valuable in neighbouring China.
The jade trade has also become deeply entangled with Myanmar’s conflict. Armed factions involved in the country’s post-coup civil war control many mining areas and use profits from the industry to fund their operations, while impoverished residents and migrant workers are left to scavenge for scraps at the most dangerous sites.
Hpakant itself has seen fierce fighting in recent months between Myanmar’s military and opposition forces, as rival groups compete for control of lucrative jade mining operations.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, ending a decade-long experiment with democracy and plunging the country into civil war.
The latest collapse has again drawn attention to the human cost of Myanmar’s jade industry, where some of the world’s most valuable stones are extracted amid poverty, conflict and unsafe working conditions.
Source: Xinhua, bssnews.net
