At least 36 are feared dead in northern Myanmar after being swept into a lake after a landslide at an unregulated jade mine, reported local media on Monday.
A search and rescue operation is underway.
The incident occurred on Sunday in the Hpakant mountainous area, which is also the epicenter of the world’s biggest and most lucrative jade mines.
As per the reports, the mining operations have been suspended due to rains, but individuals were mining hoping to find jade. Myanmar produces 90 percent of the world’s jade.
Media citing a local journalist reported that the waste heap that collapsed on Sunday was about 150 meters (492 ft) high. "There is no chance that they would survive in this muddy lake," journalist Tar Lin Maung told the publication.