Six government officials in north China's coal-rich Shanxi province have been removed from their posts after an explosion a week ago killed 34 miners.

The accident, the deadliest so far this year, occurred on June 13 at a coal pit of the Anxin Coal Mining Co. Ltd. in Xiaoxi, Luliang, when 58 miners, twice the number permitted, were working underground.

Fifteen managed to escape and another nine were rescued.

The Luliang Municipal Communist Party Committee removed Guo Jiping from his post of assistant mayor of Xiaoyi, the State Administration of Work Safety announced on Friday.

Guo was in charge of the coal mine safety work in Xiaoyi.

Five officials in Xiabao Town, Xiaoyi also were sacked, the work safety regulator said. They included Guo Weimin, Communist Party Secretary; Liu Guohai, Deputy Party Secretary; Ren Wanwei, Xiaoyi Municipal People's Congress Liaison; Hao Yongxiang, Liaison of the Xiaoyi municipal committee of the Chinese People's Political Consulative Conference, and Hou Wenyao, Assistant Town Chief.

The Xiaoyi Municipal Communist Party Committee also suggested that Liu be removed from his post of Town Chief and Ren from head of the Town Parliament.

Illegal homemade explosives, which were concealed in the colliery tunnel, ignited on their own and triggered the blast, said Shanxi Vice Governor Zhang Jianmin on Tuesday.

Zhao Tiechui, head of the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety, said initial investigations showed Anxin had many problems. These ranged from the use of explosives unsuitable for mining to excessive production. The company also illegally mined unapproved areas and had poor ventilation facilities.

Anxin's annual coal output was estimated at 300,000 tons, more than triple its official capacity of 90,000 tons, according to Zhao.

(Xinhua News Agency June 21, 2008)