One person was confirmed dead and six remained missing after a mined-out area of an iron ore company collapsed in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the local work safety watchdog said Wednesday.

The seven workers of the Julong Mining Company in Guyang County were buried when five rooms used as rest areas in the mined-out area were crushed with the area's sudden subsidence at around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, the regional work safety administration said.

Rescuers found one body at 11 p.m. and were still searching for the others.

(Xinhua News Agency  June 18, 2008)