9 killed in Myanmar jade mine landslide

Yangon: A landslide in northern Myanmar’s jade mining region has killed 9 people, a local official said today, the latest fatal incident to strike the shadowy billion-dollar industry.

The men were believed to be searching for jade in Kachin State when a wall of unstable earth collapsed late Thursday night.

Five bodies were found buried



beneath the rubble on Thursday and three more were found yesterday, said Kyaw Swar Aung, the administrator of Hpakant – the heart of Myanmar’s jade-producing region.

Rescuers also found two injured men, but one was pronounced dead at the hospital, he added.

“The total number of dead bodies found was nine. Their funerals are today,” he told .