A large landslide at the Gyama copper-molybdenum mine in Tibet trapped 83 workers and killed at least 66, highlighting risks of industrial mining at high altitude.
Key Facts
- Workers trapped
- 83
- Bodies recovered (by Apr 5)
- 66
- Landslide length
- 3 km
- Landslide thickness
- 20–50 m
- Landslide volume
- 2 million cubic meters
- Altitude of mine
- 4600 m
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Four factors contributed to the disaster: a steep V-shaped valley topography, complex neotectonic geological conditions in Tibet, snowmelt from March 2013 snowfalls following an unusually dry period from November 2012 to February 2013, and an unstable accumulation body at the rear slope that triggered a cascading overall slip.
On 29 March 2013 at approximately 06:00 local time, a massive landslide struck the Gyama Mine in Maizhokunggar County, Tibet Autonomous Region. The slide was roughly 3 km long, 20–50 m thick, and had a volume of about 2 million cubic meters, trapping 83 mine workers beneath the debris.
By 5 April 2013, rescuers had recovered 66 bodies. The disaster drew attention to environmental and safety concerns around industrial mining in Tibet, with online criticism of potentially excessive mining practices briefly circulating in China before being censored. The mine operator, a subsidiary of China National Gold Group Corporation, had previously been praised in Chinese state media as an eco-friendly model.