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12 dead, 50 injured in jade mining landslide in Myanmar
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Freelance jade miners are seen on a jade mountain in Hpakant area of Kachin State, Northern Myanmar on Feb. 2, 2014. (AP/Hkun Lat)
Witnesses say a landslide in northern Myanmar's jade mining region has killed at least 12 people and injured about 50 others.
Volunteer rescuer Naw Li said 12 bodies have been recovered after the landslide Tuesday, but rescuers don't know how many people were buried. He said 15 of the injured people have been sent to a hospital.
The landslide occurred on a mountain of waste from the mining industry in the Hpakant region of Kachin state. Villagers routinely scavenge through massive, unstable piles of dirt and rocks to look for jade pieces, but often become victims of landslides.
Police officer Tun Tun Lin confirmed the landslide in Waikha village but had no information about casualties. Hpakant is 950 kilometers (600 miles) north of Yangon.
