Guwahati: At least five people lost their lives after a landslide struck an abandoned jade mine dump in Myanmar‘s Hpakant township in Kachin State, highlighting the persistent dangers faced by informal jade miners during the monsoon season.
The incident occurred in the early hours of June 28 when a disused mining waste heap collapsed in Namaw village under the Seikmu village tract, burying several people.
Local residents, along with members of the Thinhka social welfare association, recovered the bodies of five victims from the debris. According to local reports, four of the deceased were cremated later the same day.
The victims have been identified as Soe Aung Thein (29), Win San (32), Zaw Naing Lin (35), Maung Maung San (47) and Myo Lin Htay (24). All were residents of Namaw village.
Witnesses said the collapse occurred after continuous rainfall weakened the unstable soil surrounding the abandoned mining site. Local jade prospectors noted that heavy rain significantly increases the risk of landslides, making work in the region particularly hazardous during the monsoon.
“The ground becomes saturated very quickly, and abandoned mine dumps can collapse without warning,” a local jade seeker was quoted as saying.
The exact number of people caught in the landslide remains unclear. While some local media reports suggested that seven people were trapped, other sources claimed the figure could be as high as 20. Authorities have not officially confirmed the total number of victims or whether search operations are continuing.
Hpakant, the centre of Myanmar‘s lucrative jade industry, has witnessed numerous fatal landslides over the years. Many of the victims are independent jade scavengers, locally known as “river wash jade seekers,” who search through discarded mining waste in the hope of finding valuable jade left behind by large mining companies.
Experts have repeatedly warned that abandoned mine dumps, combined with heavy rainfall and inadequate safety measures, continue to pose a serious threat to those working in the region.