Chinese police have arrested nine and detained seven others in connection with a mine blast which killed 37 people in the central Henan Province on Sept. 21, local authorities said Monday.

Those arrested were the investor, mine head and seven people in charge of safety, technology, facilities and production at the Xinfeng No. 2 Coal Mine of Dengfeng City, a Dengfeng Municipal People's Procuratorate official said.

They were accused of having major responsibilities in the grave accident.

Wu Zhanzhao, Dengfeng Municipal Coal Mine Bureau assistant head, and six other officials from the bureau and Dajindian Town were detained for dereliction of duty.

The mine, operated by Zhengzhou Guangxian Industrial and Trade Co., Ltd., was listed in the category of mines under renovation. It continued production at night after the provincial government had issued a circular on Sept. 15 ordering those mines to suspend production.

(Xinhua News Agency October 6, 2008)