A landslide in a jade mine in Hpakant, Kachin State on Tuesday claimed three huts built as part of an informal settlement in the area.
The administrator of Maw Sizar village said that the landslide occurred in the former jade mining block of Thinn Aung Kyein Company in Aung Thayar ward 2. The landslide came from the site of a 300-foot high soil deposit.
“There are many squatter huts in the area. Some people are living in those huts but some have been abandoned. Nobody lives in those huts,” Maw Sizar administrator Thein Zaw Win told KNG. “Actually, this place is not recognized by the local authorities. They are squatters. When the landslide occurred, three huts were washed away. Another six huts were almost washed away.”
Local authorities have announced that they wouldn’t provide any assistance to those in the area in the case of an accident.
According to locals, there are still more than 400 informal settlements there.
