In Myanmar's Hpakant township, a major jade Mining center, landslides at the mines have killed nearly 600 people, mostly scavengers, since 2018. The death toll is likely higher due to unrecorded incidents. The mining sites are dangerous due to unguarded piles of earth and deep digging pits. Scavengers are forced to work during the rainy season, risking being buried alive. Around 400,000 people in Myanmar rely on scavenging for a living in the Hpakant region under unsafe conditions. Mining companies are blamed for leaving sites unprotected and not following safe mining methods.

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