A landslide at a jade mine in Kachin State’s Hpakant Township over the weekend has claimed at least 17 lives and injured dozens of others, with many more feared dead as search and rescue efforts continue.

A villager in Hpakant told DVB the death toll has risen to two as one of the patients at the hospital died.

A jade mine slag heap collapsed in northern Burma on Friday, killing at least 14 people, rescue officials said, the latest in a series of disasters to hit the largely unregulated gems industry.

The fatal incident occurred after a crowd of freelance miners gathered at the site entrance to protest the temporary closure of the mine by its contractors.

Sagaing divisional authorities are undertaking a four-step plan to prevent violent confrontations between licensed mining companies and so-called “freelance” jade scavengers at the Khamti jade mines after an altercation two days ago saw four scavengers shot dead by law enforcement personnel.

Sagaing MP says: "The security guards did not attempt to stop the miners from walking in, but then fired on them as soon as they had done so.”