One person was killed when a gold mine collapsed in Thailand.

Uthai Rungsawang, 48, was panning for gold with other villagers when the ground caved in, burying him at the mining site in Prachuap Khiri Khan province on March 18.

Authorities dispatched backhoes to rescue him, but he was found crushed under rocks and soil. His body has been retrieved and will undergo a post-mortem examination.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Atthaphon Chumkhong of the Bang Saphan Police Station said Uthai had been with two other villagers, Somporn Rodthet, 58, and Duantong Sribunruang, who managed to escape when nearby residents pulled them through the mine's entrance using ropes.

The pair told officers they had arrived at the site with Uthai at around 4 pm. However, while digging in the area, they said they heard a landslide and found the mine's entrance blocked by soil.

They claimed they tried to save Uthai, but the soil kept pouring into the mine as they kept digging.

Kitipong Sukphaksakul, Deputy Governor of Prachuap Khiri Khan, said: 'The excavation site will be inspected and we will take measures to cover it up to prevent future accidents.'

Villagers in Bang Saphan regularly pan for gold, with local authorities even offering the activity to attract more tourists.