At least 25 people died in a landslide at a jade mine in the north, and emergency teams are still searching for more than a dozen missing persons, local media reported on Wednesday. The incident has reignited concerns about safety in one of the world’s most active jade regions, where rapid mining activity and volatile weather intersect with difficult terrain.
Initial reports indicate that around 40 workers and an unknown number of irregular miners were operating on Sunday when a massive 300-meter-high wall, extending about 76 meters across, collapsed during jade extraction. This account comes from the Global New Light of Myanmar, which noted the collapse sent loose rock and mud rushing down the mountainside into nearby areas where laborers were forcibly employed and improvising mining operations.
Observers describe how the sudden failure of the sand and stone wall above a lake created a small tsunami-like surge that dragged several workers into the water, complicating rescue efforts and raising the risk of further fatalities in the area surrounding the mine pits and the lake within the mining complex.
Ten rescue teams converged on the scene, actively searching and recovering victims amid challenging conditions as the mud and debris settled. The operation involved both local authorities and voluntary rescue groups, all racing against time to locate survivors and confirm identities as water and weather continued to complicate access to the site.
Miners were toiling on the mountainside in Hpakant, a remote corridor within Kachin State, when the landslide swept them toward the lake below. The terrain’s treacherous mix of steep slopes, unstable soil, and frequent rains creates a dangerous routine for those eking out a living from jade extraction in this region, which is known for its extraordinary deposits.
A member of the Burma Rescue Organization who spoke on condition of anonymity told EFE that heavy rainfall in the hours leading up to the collapse likely contributed to the disaster. The region had seen persistent downpours, and such weather patterns intensify the risk of sudden ground movement and flash floods that threaten mining sites and nearby communities.
Events of this nature have become a harsh reality in Hpakant. The area is often described as the epicenter of the world’s largest and most lucrative jade mines, where miners work under precarious conditions that leave them vulnerable to collapses, flooding, and other hazards tied to informal, high-pressure mining operations.
An avalanche in July 2020 buried more than 160 miners, and at least 54 people died in another landslide within the same mining complex, located roughly 800 kilometers north of Naypyidaw, the capital. Those disasters occurred amid torrential rains as miners removed jade from excavated slopes, underscoring the persistent dangers that accompany jade extraction in this region.
Jade mines attract thousands of impoverished Burmese workers who hope for a windfall from jade finds. Yet for many, the financial rewards are modest while the risk of injury or death remains heavy, especially in regions where informal labor dominates and safety regulations are hard to enforce against the lure of jade’s value.
Myanmar stands as the world’s leading producer of jadeite, a prized form of jade, with much of the supply destined for neighboring China. The jade is often sourced from the Kachin Mountains, where large-scale exports originate and where trade continues to intersect with complex regional economies and long-standing environmental and social tensions.