Dozens feared dead at mine after landslide in Myanmar

YANGON: At least one person was killed and dozens were missing, feared dead, after a landslide dislodged waste at a jade mine in northern Myanmar and swept them into a lake early on Wednesday, rescue workers and a civil society group said.

The landslide occurred in the remote Hpakant area of Kachin State at around 4am, Dashi Naw Lawn, an official at the Kachin Network Development Foundation said.

About 80 people were swept into the lake, the official said.

Rescue workers told Reuters one body had been spotted floating in the water and they feared all the others had perished in the latest tragedy to hit Myanmar’s poorly regulated jade industry.

As night fell, some rescue teams had called off their searches, and although others pressed on there were no reports anyone had been rescued.

Local media outlets also reported dozens were missing in the incident in Hpakant, the centre of Myanmar’s secretive jade industry which draws poor workers from across Myanmar in search of gems mostly for export to China.

Deadly landslides and other accidents are common in the mines of Hpakant. In a landslide last weekend, media reported at least six people were killed.

Economic pressures due to the Covid-19 pandemic have drawn more migrants to the jade mines even as conflict has flared since Myanmar’s military seized power in a coup in February.

Myanmar produces 90% of the world’s jade. Most comes from Hpakant, where rights groups say mining firms with links to military elites and ethnic armed groups make billions of

dollars a year.

Fighting forces 4,200 to flee into Thailand

Fighting between Myanmar government forces and ethnic guerrillas has sent about 4,200 villagers fleeing across the border into Thailand over the past week, a Thai army officer said on Wednesday.

That number includes more than 2,500 who fled into Thailand on Friday from territory held by the ethic Karen minority.

Usually when such incidents occur, the villagers are allowed to stay in Thailand for a few days and then are returned to Myanmar.