Lagatar24 Desk
Yangon, Dec 22: At least 70 feared missing after a landslide early on Wednesday at a jade mine in northern Myanmar.
The landslide occurred in the Hpakant area of Kachin State at around 4 am local time on Wednesday. There were fears about 80 people had been swept into a lake by mining waste, according to the media reports.
Rescue operations are currently underway, with most of the victims believed to be illegal jade miners. Further details are awaited.
Notably, Myanmar is the world’s largest producer of jade, but its mines have been plagued by mishaps in recent years. Although jade mining is prohibited in Hpakant, residents frequently disobey the law due to the lack of employment and poor living circumstances exacerbated by the Covid-19 outbreak.
At least ten inexperienced miners were missing in a landslide at jade block in Hpakant a few days ago.
