YANGON, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- A jade mine collapsed in northern Myanmar's Kachin state on Monday night, with casualties yet to be determined, a local resident confirmed to Xinhua.
The incident occurred in Hpakant township at around 9:30 p.m. local time. Following the collapse, a large number of people gathered at the site for rescue operations, but the work was hampered by the massive scale of the collapse, according to the resident.
About 50 people were mining at the site when the disaster struck. Although some managed to escape, the exact number of missing remains unconfirmed, and no trapped persons have been found so far, according to the Kachin state police.
Videos of the scene showed crowds using flashlights to search the area and slopes, with a barrier lake visible below the collapse site. Some media reported that about 20 people are missing. ■
