"Fifty-four people are missing in the mud," a duty officer from Hpakant township police station told AFP, asking not to be named. Myanmar Thura Gems director Hla Soe Oo told AFP by phone he was on his way to the site and had no further details. - Prized in China -The open jade mines in Kachin's Hpakant township have turned the remote area into a vast moonscape-like terrain. In July last year, the bodies of 23 landslide victims were recovered after a days-long search hampered by heavy monsoon rains. The jade industry is largely driven by insatiable demand from neighbouring China, where the translucent green gemstone has long been prized.

Source: The Nation Bangkok April 23, 2019 13:07 UTC