The death toll from a building collapse earlier this month in central China has risen to seven after four missing people were confirmed dead, a local government spokesman said on Wednesday.

Four others injured in the accident are hospitalized, said the spokesman of the Yongshun County government in Xiangxi Prefecture of Hunan Province.

A credit cooperative's office building, which was under construction, collapsed early on Nov. 17, killing three immediately and burying four others under debris. They were initially reported as missing.

The rescue operation has concluded and an investigation into the cause of the collapse has begun.

The same prefecture witnessed a collapse of a bridge under construction last year. A bridge over the Tuojiang River in Fenghuang County collapsed on Aug. 13, 2007 as 123 workers were dismantling steel scaffolding. The accident claimed 64 lives and caused 22 injuries.

(Xinhua News Agency November 26, 2008)