The death toll from the landslide at the former jade mine in Spoks, Seikmu Village Tract, Hpakant Township, Kachin State, has risen to 32 as of the evening of January 15, according to locals and rescue workers. Ten more bodies were found today, and more people are still missing, a rescue worker said.
“Ten more bodies have been found as of this evening. There are still people missing. The search and rescue operation is ongoing day and night,” he said. The number of bodies recovered has risen to 32, with one person who was rescued alive on January 13 and taken to hospital, but another died while receiving treatment, bringing the death toll to 32, he said.
Rescue workers have been burying the bodies according to their respective religions since January 14. The dead range from 2-year-olds to 89-year-olds, and 57 houses in Spoksa Village Ward (3) were submerged by the landslide.
Locals say that illegal jade mining has increased in the Hpakant region since the military coup, and that landslides and mudslides are frequently causing deaths. According to statistics, there were at least ten landslides in Hpakant Township between 2018 and 2024, killing around 600 people in total.
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