BANGKOK — An overnight landslide at a jade mining site in northern Myanmar has resulted in the deaths of at least a dozen individuals, with numerous others unaccounted for, as reported by local residents, rescue teams, and independent media. Approximately 50 homes have reportedly been either buried or severely damaged in the incident.
The incident took place early Monday in Hpakant township, located in Kachin state, a remote mountainous area known for its rich jade resources, situated roughly 950 kilometers (600 miles) from Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city. This area has been a flashpoint of sporadic clashes between the Myanmar military and ethnic guerrilla forces.
According to a local resident, Tarlin Mg, the bodies of 12 individuals, including four children, were retrieved from Spott village. He indicated that the landslide was triggered by muddy water that overflowed from a pond situated about 300 feet (91 meters) away, which had been severely polluted by tons of mining debris and waste.
Two local rescuers expressed their concerns to the press about the challenges in locating missing persons amid the substantial mud; they highlighted the need for heavy machinery in rescue operations. They requested anonymity to avoid possible repercussions from either the military or the insurgent forces in the ongoing conflict.
Reports from Kachin-based online media suggest that the number of missing individuals may range from 30 to 50. Instances of landslides are common in Hpakant, with several occurring each year. Notably, a landslide in July 2020 claimed the lives of at least 162 people, while another incident in November 2015 resulted in the deaths of 113.
Many of the victims are independent miners who tend to settle near the discarded earth mounds resulting from the operations of larger mining companies. These miners often scavenge for jade fragments and typically reside in abandoned mining pits at the base of these unstable mounds, which become increasingly precarious during the rainy season.
The majority of these scavengers are unregistered migrants from other regions, making it difficult to ascertain the total number of individuals missing following such incidents. Due to rampant smuggling and illegal transactions, the scale of the local jade mining industry remains largely unknown; however, earnings from jade, pearls, and gemstones in this area are estimated to reach billions of dollars.
Human rights advocates argue that jade mining serves as a vital revenue stream for Myanmar’s military regime. Additionally, these mines are a significant source of income for the Kachin Independence Army, an ethnic militia that has waged a prolonged struggle against the central government for increased self-governance.
Since the military coup in February 2021 that ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, the ceasefire in the region has been broken, leading to renewed conflict. This ongoing strife has forced many civilians to flee to refugee camps or seek shelter in neighboring towns.
