Death toll from Myanmar's jade mine collapse rises to 22

- Illustrative photo: iStock

YANGON: (Bernama-Xinhua) A total of 22 bodies have been recovered as of Tuesday (Jan 14) from the collapse of a jade mine in northern Myanmar's Kachin state, a police official told Xinhua on Wednesday (Jan 15).

Thirteen bodies were recovered on Jan 13, and nine more bodies were found on January 14, the police official said, adding that rescue efforts were ongoing on Wednesday.

The fatal accident occurred on Monday after a mud pond in the mining area in Hpakant township collapsed.

A total of 57 houses were also buried under the earth due to the accident, the official said.

"As the volume of the collapsed mud is large, it is difficult to retrieve the people and machines buried at the bottom," he said. - Bernama-Xinhua