Hpakant mining dump collapse kills five jade scavengers, over ten missing

By Admin 29 Jun 2026

DMG Newsroom

29 June 2026, Hpakant, Kachin State

At least five jade scavengers have been confirmed dead and more than ten others remain missing after a mining waste dump collapsed in Hpakant Township, Kachin State, following heavy monsoon rains, local residents and rescue teams reported Monday.

The landslide occurred at around 1:00 AM on June 28 in the Thone Thein Hmaw mining area near Nam Hmaw Village, one of the main jade mining zones in Hpakant.

Heavy rainfall caused the unstable mining waste pile to collapse, burying freelance jade scavengers who were searching for discarded stones among mining debris.

Local civil society groups and residents are continuing search and rescue operations at the site. Rescue workers warned that the death toll could rise as teams continue clearing mud and debris.

The incident follows days of heavy rainfall that have caused flooding across Hpakant Township. Local monitoring groups reported that rising water levels in Uru Creek and Maw Wan Creek have flooded low-lying areas, forcing some residents to move to safer locations.

Residents in the area are facing increasing hardship due to both natural disasters and ongoing conflict related displacement.

"Rescue teams have recovered five bodies from the debris, but the search is not finished yet," a resident from nearby Seng Taung Village said. "More than ten workers are still missing. Water levels are changing quickly, and some mining slopes remain dangerous."

Landslides are a frequent danger in Hpakant’s jade mining areas, where many low-income workers continue searching unstable mining waste piles for valuable stones, particularly during the monsoon season.