Safety violations led to the deaths of six coal miners in the northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, a team investigating the accident told Xinhua Wednesday.

The miners were killed by coal gas poisoning at the Luxinju Coal Mine Monday, the investigators said.

Four people responsible for the tragedy, who were taken into police custody Tuesday, admitted that the privately-owned facility, although licensed, had been ordered to suspend production until safety requirements were met.

Six of the 15 miners on duty died in the accident, which occurred at about 10:20 p.m. Monday. Six others escaped safely. The three injured miners are still hospitalized.

He Ping, one of the mine's deputy heads, acknowledged that he signed the suspension notice issued by the coal mining administration of Jungar Banner on Dec. 15, the investigators said. The order was issued because of inadequate ventilation and lack of safety training for miners. The local production safety bureau found miners did not wear personal oxygen tanks when working and some even smoked.

However, the investigators said, the owners ignored the order because they wanted to take advantage of rising coal prices.

Yang Jianju, deputy head of the Banner, said gas concentrations in local coal mines were generally low, so mine owners and workers had become complacent about safety requirements.

All collieries in Jungar were ordered to stop work on Wednesday for a week for a safety overhaul, the banner's government said Tuesday. The government of Ordos City, which administers Jungar Banner, ordered a month-long work inspection starting Tuesday.

(Xinhua News Agency March 11, 2009)