2019 Hpakant jade mine collapse


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

Collapse

At 11:30pm MMT, a mud-filled pond at a jade mine in Hpakant collapsed. The mud and tailings in the pond buried miners below it in up to 100 feet of mud. At the time, the miners were asleep in their residences, which were located below the mine.

Rescue efforts

Rescue efforts were started on April 23, the morning after the collapse. 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." Four bodies were recovered. The search for more miners was cancelled on April 26, after another landslide killed two of the rescue workers.

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. The natural resource minister of Kachin said that he would take action against mining companies involved in the incident, and said that he wanted mining companies to work to improve the safety of their mines. The Myanmar central government suspended operations in seventeen mine blocks in Hapakant, affecting eleven companies.