A huge landslide in the northern Myanmar mining area has claimed at least 90 lives as search teams continue their struggle to find more bodies under the rubbles.

On Saturday, officials confirmed that 79 bodies were found near the damaged site and 11 more bodies were discovered on Sunday morning. According to AFP, this has been one of the country’s deadliest disasters in the history of its jade industry.

"We found 79 dead bodies on November 21 (and) 11 today so the total so far is 90," said Nilar Myint, an official from the local administrative authorities in Hpakant. In addition, the only person who was pulled out alive from the rubble also died.

It has been reported that many others are still missing and most of them being villagers as the landslide crushed dozens of huts. Many people live near the barren landscape in the hope of finding precious stones.

Myanmar has been the source of world’s finest jadeite. This stone, which is green in colour, is labelled as the most prized stone in China. In Hpakant, locals have been complaining of abuses of the land, frequent accidents and sudden land confiscations. Miners in the area, who are often promised riches, become drug addicted because of easy availability of heroin and methamphetamine, ABC reports.

Advocacy group Global Witness showed in their October report that $31 billion (around AU $43 billion) worth of jade was produced in 2014, which is ten times the oficial figure of $3.4 billion (around AU $4.7). It is believed that most of the jade stones excavated are directly smuggled to China. "Industrial-scale mining by big companies controlled by military families and companies, cronies and drug lords has made Hpakant a dystopian wasteland where locals are literally having the ground cut from under their feet," said Mike Davis of Global Witness.

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