Myanmar army sacks officers over landslide tragedy

The victims of the mining tragedy were largely poor migrants who had travelled across the country to prospect in the treacherous open-cast mines, hoping to find valuable stones left behind by the big companies. - AFP

YANGON (AFP): Two high-ranking officers were fired for having "failed their responsibilities" after a landslide in Myanmar killed at least 174 jade miners, the country's military said on Monday (July 6) in a rare public sanctioning.

Heavy monsoon rains last Thursday sent mud cascading down a hillside over workers scouring the land for the green gemstone in Hpakant in northern Kachin state.