JINAN, Dec. 27 -- The owner of a gypsum mine, which collapsed on Friday in east China's Shandong Province with one person died and 17 trapped, committed suicide early Sunday morning, according to local authorities.

The accident happened 7:56 p.m. in Pingyi County in Linyi city of Shandong Province, when a total of 29 people were working underground. One was dead, four managed to escape, and another seven were rescued so far.

Rescuers have drilled a hole to get to one of the locations where the workers are trapped, and are trying to transfer good and waters and contact the workers, authorities said.

According to Zhang Shuping, mayor of Linyi city, more than 700 rescuers are trying to rescue the seventeen workers who are still trapped underground.

Ma Congbo, chairman of Yurong company that owns the mine, drowned himself by jumping into the water when working together with the rescue team around 2 a.m. Sunday.

The cause of the mine accident is under investigation.