On July 2nd more than one hundred people They’re dead in a jade mine due to a landslide in northern Myanmar, in the Hpakant area, in the state of Kachin, on the border with China. Local firefighters said at least 113 bodies were recovered after a wave of mud from heavy rain hit the mine. However, the death toll may soon rise, as many other miners are still trapped in the mine and it is not known in what conditions they are.
Myanmar is the largest jade supplier in the world, but fatal accidents are frequent in its mines and occupational safety is poorly respected, despite the fact that last year a more stringent law was passed than in the past, but according to the unions is not respected for the lack of controls. Hpakant is the world’s largest jade mining site, whose trade is worth $ 30 billion (€ 26.5 billion) per year for Myanmar.
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