60 people dead , 100 missing in landslide in northern Myanmar

YANGON, Myanmar -- A community leader says a landslide near a jade mine in northern Myanmar has killed up to 60 people and left more than 100 others unaccounted for.

Most of them are villagers who were sifting through a mountain of tailings and waste when the landslide hit Saturday afternoon in Kachin state.

According to Lamai Gum Ja, a community leader and businessman, 50 to 60 bodies have been pulled from the debris and more than 100 are missing.

The region is home to some of the world's highest quality jade, bringing in billions of dollars a year, though researchers say most of that money goes to individuals and companies tied to Myanmar's former military rulers.