After the collapse of mining waste into a lake in Myanmar triggered a sudden surge of mud and water, more than 170 people were killed and buried in a jade mining site in the Hpakant area of Kachin state.
On Friday, 77 of the said mines were buried in a mass grave. It was then followed by another batch of dozens of jade miners that were interred on Saturday.
Most of the victims who perished in what was described as one of the worst mining incidents that have ever happened in the country were migrants miners who sought fortune in the jade-rich area.
Based on the reports, the waves crashed onto the miners as they were collecting gems at the center of the country's secretive billion-dollar jade industry in Hpakant, burying them under a layer of mud.
In an interview with Reuters, an official from the information ministry, Thar Lin Maung stated that at least 171 bodies were recovered from the site but there were still remains that were floating on the surface.
Moreover, he added that aside from the 77 that were already identified and buried on Friday, 41 more were buried the following day. The remains of the victims were placed in plywood coffins which were carried by volunteers into the mass grave dug near the mine site.
In addition, there were also bodies that were cremated in line with their Buddhist traditions.
Among the victims was a university student named Saw Myint Tun. According to his family, the 21-year-old traveled miles from his Rakhine state home in order to join those who were seeking fortune mining jade.
Meanwhile, many of those who died in the incident still remain unidentified since the strong force of the wave stripped off most of their clothing and battered their bodies, Aljazeera reported.
Accidents in Myanmar's Mining Industry
At least 90% of the world's jade supply comes from Myanmar. Most of these are then exported to neighboring countries such as China. Deadly landslides such as the one that happened on Thursday are common in these areas. However, due to the demand in jade, many impoverished migrants and workers across Myanmar are drawn to these sites, according to Rappler.
Back in 2015, a collapse at a mining site also killed about 100 people. The incident five years ago prompted calls to regulate the mining industry in the country.
In 2019, another landslide in the mining site took lives of 50 people, but the incident that happened on Thursday was so far the worst that Myanmar has faced.
Meanwhile, Aung San Suu Kyi the country's leader pointed the blame on the lack of jobs in the country that has pushed many people to go to mines in order to look for employment. However, Global Witness, a rights group stated that the landslide was an indictment of the failure of the government to control the irresponsible and reckless mining practices in the country.
The group also stated that no law or policy has been implemented in order to avoid such tragedies and preserve the jade reserves of the country.
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