2019 Hpakant jade mine collapse

On 22 April 2019, a landslide triggered the collapse of a jade mine near Maw Wun Kalay, Hpakant, Kachin State, Myanmar, trapping at least 54 miners.[1][2] The deaths of four miners were confirmed, along with the later deaths of two rescue workers. [3][4]

2019 Hpakant jade mine collapse
Date22 April 2019
LocationMaw Wun Kalay, Hpakant, Kachin State, Myanmar
Coordinates25°36′44.45″N 96°18′45.14″E
Deaths6 (including two rescue workers)
Missing50+

Collapse

At 23:30 MMT, a mud-filled pond at a jade mine in Hpakant collapsed.[1] The mud and tailings in the pond buried miners below it in up to 30.5 metres of mud.[5] At the time, the miners were asleep in their residences, which were located below the mine.[6]

Rescue efforts

Rescue efforts were started on 23 April, the morning after the collapse.[2] The efforts were coordinated by the local government and welfare organizations. According to Tin Soe, a politician representing the area, removing the mud "could cost millions of dollars."[5] Four bodies were recovered.[3] The search for more miners was cancelled on 26 April, after another landslide killed two of the rescue workers.[4]

Reactions

In response to the collapse, the acting UN Resident Coordinator to Myanmar called on the country to implement new safety legislation to protect mine workers.[3] The natural resource minister of Kachin said that he would take action against mining companies involved in the incident,[7] and said that he wanted mining companies to work to improve the safety of their mines.[8] The Myanmar central government suspended operations in seventeen mine blocks in Hapakant, affecting eleven companies.[9]

See also

References
  1. "More than 50 feared dead after landslide at Myanmar jade mine". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
  2. "More than 50 believed killed in collapse at Myanmar jade mine". Reuters. 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
  3. "Deadly mining accident: Rescuers battle to find dozens killed in Myanmar mudslide". today.rtl.lu. Retrieved 2019-04-24.
  4. "Search mission ended in Myanmar jade mining accident". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2019-04-28.
  5. "54 miners missing and feared dead after mudslide at Myanmar jade mine". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
  6. "Myanmar landslide buries over 50 miners". 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
  7. "Minister Vows 'Action Will Be Taken' Against Mining Firms as New Mudslide Kills Two More in Hpakant". Myanmar Now. Retrieved 2019-05-03.
  8. "11 exploitations de jade suspendues à Hpakant". lepetitjournal.com (in French). Retrieved 2019-05-03.
  9. "Jade mining suspended in 17 Hpakant blocks after landslide". The Myanmar Times. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
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