At least 166 people were killed and 55 injured in a landslide at a jade mine in northern Myanmar and more are trapped, according to the latest update from the fire department of Myanmar.  

A total of 125 bodies had been recovered as of noon Thursday, most of which are male. The rescue work is underway, but it's difficult to carry out search work at the scene as large equipment couldn't be used for rescue operations there, said a police officer on the ground.

"All of the casualties are local jade scavengers and the rescue operations are being suspended as the situation is quite dangerous," the official detailed.

The miners were collecting stones when a "muddy wave" caused by heavy rain buried them, the fire service said in a Facebook post. 

Caused by monsoon rains, the landslides occurred at a jade mining site in Sate Mu village tract of Hpakant township at 08:00 a.m. local time, according to a release from the Fire Services Department.

Meanwhile, the Myanma Gems Enterprise had recently issued a directive to jade mining companies to suspend operations at the sites for three months starting this month during monsoon season.

The Hpakant area in Kachin state is 950 kilometers (600 miles) north of Myanmar's biggest city, Yangon, and is the center of the world's biggest and most lucrative jade mining industry.

According to the enterprise's directive, the suspension will be practiced in Lone Khin-Hpakant mining area in Kachin state, and Kani mining area and Maw Luu-Maw Han mining area in Sagaing region from July 1 to Sept. 30 this year. 

Deadly landslides are frequent in Kachin state, known as the land of jade, especially in Hpakant mining region.

Many locals make a living by jade scavenging in the region and most of the landslides are caused by the partial collapse of tailings heaps and dams.

An accident in November 2015 also left 113 dead and was considered the country's worst. In this case, the victims died when a 60-meter high mountain of earth and waste discarded by several mines tumbled in the middle of the night, enveloping more than 70 huts below in which the miners slept.

(With input from Xinhua)