A mine collapse in a village near Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, killed one miner and three others were missing, local source confirmed.

The tragedy occurred on Tuesday in Jiaoxiping village. Four miners were down the pit when it suddenly collapsed. Witnesses said that the mine owner tried to find the buried workers by dialing their mobile phones, and finally detected the corpse of one miner, but he was unable to reach the other miners. "Maybe they were buried much deeper", said a witness.

Rescuing work is still under way, and investigation has been launched.

(Xinhua News Agency February 20, 2008)