Myanmar: At least a dozen missing in latest Hpakant landslide

At least a dozen missing in latest Hpakant landslide



YANGON: -- At least a dozen gems prospectors are missing after a fresh landslide on Monday in Kachin State’s Hpakant jade mining region, the latest in a series of deadly incidents, The Irrawaddy reported.

Eyewitnesses said two piles of mining waste located between Suttaung and Shansu villages collapsed on Monday afternoon while prospectors were sifting through soil in search of jade overlooked by the large companies that mine the area.

About 100 prospectors were searching the gems residues there and suddenly the waste pile of Triple Three Company collapsed, and later another pile of Aung Hein Min [company] collapsed, said a survivor.

Deadly landslides are common among the jade mines of Hpakant Township. Locals complain that the frequency of incidences has increased in recent months, however, amid a flurry of excavation from big companies, many Chinese, that reportedly fear their window for exploiting the region’s rich jade deposits could close when a new government takes power in April.

At least six deadly landslides have occurred in the region since mid-December. They were preceded by a massive collapse on Nov. 21 that killed at least 113 people, the deadliest incident in years.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/148312


-- Thai PBS 2016-01-27