2015 Hpakant jade mine disaster

On 21 November 2015, a major landslide in Hpakant, Kachin State, northern Myanmar killed at least 116 people near a jade mine, with around 100 more missing.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Hpakant jade mine disaster
Hpakant jade mine
Hpakant jade mine (Myanmar)
Date21 November 2015
LocationHpakant, Kachin State, Myanmar
Deaths116
Non-fatal injuriesN/A
Missing100

Landslide
Hpakant jade mine in 2018

The landslide occurred in the early morning hours, when a man-made heap of waste soil mined out of the nearby jade mine collapsed. Many of those killed were people living in a small village near the waste heap, including both miners and others who had scavenged through the waste soil looking for jade remnants to sell. The cause of the collapse is not known.[1][6]

Rescue efforts by the Myanmar Red Cross and other groups have been made to find and recover survivors; one person was pulled from the rubble alive, but subsequently died from injuries.[1] At least 116 bodies have been reported as having been recovered.[2] Around a hundred people have been reported as missing. The total number of casualties cannot be accurately estimated, as the precise number of people living near the site is not known.[1][2] According to a Hpakant Township General Administration Department official, people had been warned to avoid living near the waste heap because of its potential for landslides.[7]

Investigation

The jade industry in Myanmar generates estimated annual revenues of US$31 billion.[6] It is presently unclear which companies are responsible for the waste dump, although it is known that prior to the 2015 democratic election, many of these were controlled by the military leadership of the country, leading to questionable safety practices and corruption.[6] Deaths from similar landslides are common, but none of the scale of the Hpakant landslide.[6] A spokesman for the National League for Democracy party said they will investigate the companies and the practices that led to this disaster.[6]

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See also

References
  1. "Myanmar landslide: 90 dead at Kachin jade mine". BBC News. 22 November 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  2. Aung Hla Tun (23 November 2015). "Hopes fade for 100 miners missing after landslide near Myanmar jade mine". Reuters. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  3. "Nearly 100 dead in Myanmar jade mine collapse". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  4. "Hopes Fade for 100 Miners Missing After Landslide Near Myanmar Jade Mine". The New York Times. 22 November 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  5. "Myanmar jade mine landslide kills around 100". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  6. Mahtani, Shibani; Myo, Myo (23 November 2015). "Myanmar Mine Disaster Highlights Challenge to Suu Kyi". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  7. "Myanmar landslide: 'Many missing' at Kachin jade mine". BBC. 23 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.

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