A former police officer who was in charge of overseeing a mine, where an accident killed 277 people in 2008 in north China's Shanxi Province, stood trial Tuesday for dereliction of duty.

The trial of Cheng Xiangmin, former police officer of Xiangfen County in Linfen City, was held at the Fangshan District People's Court in Beijing. No verdict was given on Tuesday.

An unlicensed iron ore dump operated by the Xinta Mining Company collapsed on Sept. 8, 2008 in Xiangfen County and triggered a massive landslide, which devastated an outdoor market, a village and an office building.

In January 2008, Cheng, who was in charge of maintaining order in the mine, halted inspections of the mine as ordered by his superior Han Chunxi, according to a statement from the procuratorate.

The company's illegal exploration eventually led to the tragedy, said the statement.

The company, which illicitly used explosives, devastated iron reserves worth more than 100 million yuan (14.65 million U.S. dollars), according to the Shanxi Provincial Department of Land and Resources.

Han Chunxi, former police chief of Xiangfen County admitted taking bribes of 40,000 yuan from the mine owner, Zhang Peiliang, in 2006 and 2007in court earlier this month.

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