At least five people were killed and about 15 others remain missing after a massive slag heap collapsed at an abandoned jade mining site in Myanmar's northern Kachin State, where freelance scavengers were searching for valuable jade fragments, according to state media.

The accident occurred late Sunday in Hpakant Township, the heart of Myanmar's jade industry, after days of intense monsoon rainfall destabilized a large pile of mining waste. Around 20 scavengers were reportedly working under floodlights when the heap suddenly gave way, burying them beneath tons of debris.

According to AFP, rescue teams have recovered five bodies so far while search operations continue for those still trapped under the collapsed waste heap. State-run newspaper The Global New Light of Myanmar said persistent heavy rains had left old mine waste piles dangerously unstable, contributing to the disaster.

Hpakant, located in Kachin State, is home to the world's richest jadeite deposits, supplying a gemstone that is highly prized across Asia, particularly in neighboring China. Despite generating billions of dollars in trade, the industry remains largely unregulated, forcing thousands of impoverished workers to risk their lives scavenging through discarded mining waste in hopes of finding leftover jade.

Fatal landslides and mine collapses are a recurring feature of Myanmar's jade sector, especially during the annual monsoon season, when heavy rainfall weakens unstable slopes and waste heaps. Safety standards at many abandoned and active mining sites remain poor, making freelance scavengers particularly vulnerable.

The jade-rich region has also become a strategic battleground in Myanmar's ongoing civil war. Rival armed groups, including the military and resistance forces, have fought for control of lucrative mining areas since the 2021 military coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Revenues from jade mining have long been viewed as an important source of funding for competing factions in the conflict.

Search and recovery efforts are continuing as authorities work to locate those still missing beneath the collapsed debris.

BOB Post