Myanmar jade mine collapse: Death toll rises to 162

The death toll in a landslide at a jade mine in northern Myanmar has risen to at least 162, with more feared dead, authorities said.

A heap of mining waste collapsed into a lake on Thursday and buried many workers under mud and water.

By late evening on Thursday, rescue workers had recovered 162 bodies, the fire service department said, but the search was ongoing.

The disaster struck after an early bout of heavy rainfall close to the Chinese border in Kachin state, the fire services department said in a Facebook post.
The miners had apparently defied a warning not to work the treacherous open mines during the rains, local police said.

They were scavenging for the gemstones on the sharp mountainous terrain in Hpakant township, where furrows from earlier digs had already loosened the earth.

Dhaka/Mukul