Workers recover more than 30 bodies from Myanmar jade mines

A mound of excavated earth and rubble collapsed Sunday in the northern town of Hpakant and dragged dozens of people into a nearby lake. Workers have recovered 33 bodies from the site, local fire services said Wednesday. A few people remain missing. Many of the victims were independent miners searching for small pieces of jade near the mines. Mining companies in the area had suspended operations due to heavy rains. Myanmar produces a majority of the world’s jade, and some of the largest and most profitable mines are in Hpakant.

Has this type of tragedy happened before? The nation’s mining industry is largely unregulated, and miners are subject to dangerous working conditions. More than 160 people died in a landslide in the same area in July 2020, and more than 110 people died in a 2015 landslide. Many of the miners are migrants from other parts of the country.

Dig deeper: Read Joyce Wu’s report in World Tour about religious persecution in Myanmar.