Myanmar jade mine landslide toll grows; Georgia landslide claims at least 26

Myanmar jade mine landslide toll grows; Georgia landslide claims at least 26
by AFP Staff Writers
Yangon (AFP) Aug 16, 2023

The death toll from a landslide at an unregulated jade mine in a remote part of Myanmar has hit at least 31, with eight people still missing, rescuers said Wednesday.

The disaster struck on Sunday outside northern Kachin's Hpakant township, after torrential rain and floods ravaged the region over the weekend.

Jade mining in Myanmar is lucrative due to high demand from neighbouring China, but the unregulated industry is plagued with frequent worker deaths.

"We found six more dead bodies this morning," a rescue worker told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. They added that eight people remain unaccounted for, with the search continuing.

Rescuers dug through thick mud to find bodies, while others were discovered floating in water.

A massive pile of earth about 150 to 180 metres (500-600 feet) high -- left behind by mining excavations -- was loosened by the intense rainfall and collapsed, according to rescuers.

The rainy season had forced the suspension of mine operations but those caught in the landslide are believed to be locals who were trying to find something valuable in the mud.

Myanmar is the world's biggest source of jade and in 2020 nearly 300 people lost their lives in a massive landslide at a Hpakant mine.

Jade and other abundant natural resources in Myanmar's north -- including timber, gold and amber -- have helped finance both sides of a decades-long civil war between ethnic Kachin insurgents and the military.

While environmentalists and rights groups have long called for reforms, a 2021 military coup effectively ended hopes for better standards in the industry, according to international watchdogs.

After the putsch, monitoring group Global Witness urged a consumer boycott of jade and gemstones from Myanmar, warning the industry could become a "slush fund" for military repression.

More than 3,900 civilians have been killed since the coup, according to a local monitoring group.

Georgia landslide death toll climbs to at least 26
Tbilisi (AFP) Aug 15, 2023 - The death toll from a landslide at a resort town in northwestern Georgia has risen to 26, the internal affairs ministry said on Tuesday.

Search operations are ongoing for seven people still missing from the August 3 landslide around Shovi, a small resort in the Caucasus nation's northwest, famed for vast forests and mineral water springs.

"The total number of dead is 26, and rescuers are looking for seven more," the emergency service of the internal affairs ministry said.

A previous toll announced on August 5 put the number of dead at 16.

Images from the ministry showed rescuers manning excavators to shift dried, moved earth.

Teams are searching both at the epicentre of the disaster and in nearby riverbeds, the ministry said on Facebook.

Shovi, in a remote valley 140 kilometres (90 miles) northwest of the capital Tbilisi, lies on the confluence of two rivers.

Heavy rains and flooding are fairly common in Georgia, where steep slopes pose a risk of landslides.