Accident at Myanmar jade mine kills at least 15 people

July 15, 2018 04:56 pm | Updated 04:56 pm IST - Yangon:

 In this November 21, 2015 file photo, People look for the bodies of miners killed by a landslide in Hpakant jade mine in Kachin state.

In this November 21, 2015 file photo, People look for the bodies of miners killed by a landslide in Hpakant jade mine in Kachin state.

At least 15 people were killed and 30 injured in a landslide at a jade mine in northern Myanmar’s jade mining region.

A police officer in Hpakant Township in Kachin state said on Sunday that 15 bodies were retrieved from the accident site near Lonekhin village but a search was ongoing for more. He said searchers were hindered by heavy rain.

A member of parliament for the area said he had seen 18 injured people from the Saturday accident at one hospital in Myitkyina, the state capital, but he believed there were at least 30 hurt.

Such accidents are not rare because scavenging for jade remnants is dangerous and not well regulated. The number of missing is difficult to estimate because most scavengers are unregistered migrants from other areas.

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