HPAKANT-----Landslide occurred in Hsin Gaung Taung mining plot near Thayargone village, Hpa-kant Region, Kachin State, yesterday early morning leaving two jade scavengers dead, according to the locals.

Those victims lived in the Kayeinnaw Ward in Myitgyina Township.

“The jade mining plot near the Thayargone village collapsed. We prepared to carry the dead bodies to the Myitgyina Hospital. However, the social welfare associations told us that they can carry the bodies to the Myitgyina Hospital after receiving the dead certificates from the Hpa-kant hospital. So, we already sent the bodies to the Hpa-kant hospital,” said a volunteer who planned to carry the bodies to the Myitgyina Hospital.

As Triple One Company situated in Hsan Kywe Ward near Manakyay village, had split the jade plot with mine on June 28th, Than Naing who had three children died from scattering with the pieces of stones. Moreover, the waste pile collapsed under the jade mining plot killing two jade hunters on June 27th.

Although the jade mining companies were prohibited to search the jades in Hpa-kant region, they are now illegally exploring for the raw jades at night by using heavy machineries, according to the locals.

There are about 300,000 migrant workers in Hpa-aknt region coming across the nation. They illegally explored for the jades at the old mining plots as the manageable scale. Some had to search the raw jades at the waste dumps. That’s why there have been monthly casualties due to the landslides occurred in the jade mining plots and waste dumps.