from the news wires today21 Feb 2014 07:35
An enormous jade boulder that could weigh up to 50 tons has been found half buried in restive northern Myanmar, and the government has sent troops to protect it, a state minister said Friday.
The raw jade was discovered by villages and small scale miners in the gem-rich region of Hpakant just over a week ago, but since it's still half buried, it's impossible to know its exact size, said Lajun Ngan Seng, the minister of resource-rich Kachin state.
He said authorities believe it may be 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide, weighing up to 50 tons.
"It's being guarded by soldiers," the minister said, adding that after it is completely unearthed, "We'll decide what to do with it."