A landslide at a rare earth metal (REM) mine in Pang War town, Chipwi township, Kachin State has resulted in the deaths of at least four people, including Chinese nationals, and left at least a dozen miners missing.

Following the landslide at 8:00 am on June 4, search and rescue missions continue, with the bodies of two Chinese businessmen and two Myanmar nationals recovered so far.

“Only four bodies have been found, two Chinese nationals among them were already sent back to China, and the search is still ongoing”, a Pang War resident said.

Among those who died or went missing in the landslide were mine workers from across Myanmar and several nearby female vendors. The exact number of casualties remains uncertain in the current situation.

According to residents, the lake constructed as a reservoir above the REM mine triggered the landslide, burying everyone at the workplace under a deluge of mud. However KNG has yet to verify the specifics of the incident.

Heavy rainfall led to the collapse of a REM mine in Zokelan village, Chipwi township, on June 1, claiming the life of 19-year-old mine worker Ko Daing Khaung. Similarly, in August 2023, another fatal incident occurred when a man lost his life in a REM mine landslide in Pang War.

Global Witness, an environmental monitoring group, has announced that in Kachin Special Region No. 1, including Chipwi township, REM mining and production are intensifying, with the extracted REM being exported in large quantities to China.

REM export to China surged from 19,500 tons in 2021 to 41,700 tons in 2023, effectively doubling the export volume, according to Global Witness.