Yangon: The bodies of 23 victims of a landslide in Myanmar’s northern jade mining area have been recovered, an official confirmed on Monday.
Rescuers are still looking for a further four victims, many of whom belong to the small ethnic Rawang minority in the remote area of Kachin state, the heart of the country’s notoriously shadowy multibillion-dollar jade industry.
Landslides have killed dozens this year around the treacherous jade mines where impoverished locals comb deep gouges in the ground for pieces of the semi-precious gemstone.
This latest disaster in Set Mu sub-township hit the Rawang ethnic group hard. The mainly-Christian community number about 70,000 people and are one of Myanmar’s smallest ethnicities. (AFP)
