Myanmar Jade Mine Collapse Kills 5, Leaves 15 Missing Amid Monsoon Rains
At least five people have been confirmed dead and around 15 others remain missing after a landslide at a disused jade mine in northern Myanmar, state media reported on Tuesday. The accident occurred late Sunday when a slag heap collapsed under heavy monsoon rains in Hpakant township, Kachin state, burying freelance scavengers who were sifting through debris for gem fragments.
The Global New Light of Myanmar, a state-run newspaper, said the collapse happened after days of intense rainfall destabilised the old mining waste. Around 20 scavengers were searching the site under floodlights when the heap suddenly gave way. Rescue teams are continuing search operations for the missing.
Myanmar’s jade mining industry, centred in Kachin state, is the world’s largest source of jadeite—a gemstone highly valued in Asian markets, particularly China. However, the sector remains largely unregulated, with many mines controlled by armed factions involved in the country’s ongoing civil war. Since the military seized power in February 2021, ending a decade-long democratic transition, internal conflict has intensified, and control over lucrative mining operations has become a key source of revenue for warring groups.
Local residents, often impoverished, work as freelance scavengers on mine waste piles, risking their lives for small fragments of jade. Mass casualty accidents are frequent, especially during the monsoon season when rains weaken unstable slopes and poorly constructed waste heaps. Hpakant has also seen violent clashes between the Myanmar military and opposition forces in recent months, adding to the dangers faced by civilians.
The collapse is the latest in a series of deadly incidents in Myanmar’s mining areas. In 2020, a landslide at a jade mine in the same region killed at least 160 people, one of the worst mining disasters in the country's history. The junta has not issued any statement on whether safety measures will be reviewed.
Authorities have urged residents to stay away from unstable mining sites during the rainy season, but many continue to scavenge due to economic desperation. The missing persons are feared dead, but rescue teams remain hopeful of finding survivors.
