Five officials have been removed from their posts and deprived of their Party membership for alleged corruption after a probe into a landslide that killed 277 people, China's discipline watchdog announced Thursday.

Their cases have been handed over to prosecutors, said a statement from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

An unlicensed iron ore dump collapsed on Sept. 8, 2008, in Xiangfen county of Linfen city, north China's Shanxi Province, causing a landslide that devastated a downstream village, an office building and a busy outdoor market.

The five senior local officials took bribes from the iron ore mine owner and covered up illegal practice that triggered the fatal landslide accident, said the statement.

"They caused serious life and property losses, badly harmed the public interest and undermined the image of the government and Party."

The investigation found Duan Bo, former deputy police head of Linfen city, took 20 million yuan (2.9 million U.S. dollars) in bribes from Zhang Peiliang, former president of Xinta Mining Company, which owned the iron ore dump and, in exchange, covered up the company's illegal practices, the statement said.

Duan, who later took the post as police head in Yuncheng city, was also found to have taken bribes worth of 4.55 million yuan from other people, it said.

Zhou Jie, former vice mayor of Linfen city, also took bribes of 30,000 yuan from Zhang and 2.71 million yuan from other people, the statement said.

As head of mining and workplace safety, Zhou was guilty of dereliction of duty and was responsible for the accident, it said.

The other three officials were:

-- Zhang Jinfeng, former county head of Xiangfen and then Party head of Jiyuan county, who accepted 200,000 yuan from Zhang Peiliang; The former official was also found to have taken bribes worth more than 3 million yuan from others;

-- Zhang Deying, former Party head of Yicheng and then assistant to mayor of Linfen city, who took 30,000 yuan from Zhang Peiliang. He also took bribes worth more than 1 million yuan from others;

-- and Zhang Fucheng, former director of land and resources bureau of Linfen city government, who failed to stop illegal practices at Xinta Mining Company. He was also found to have taken bribes.

In the statement, the CCDI asked local governments to improve education and supervision of their officials.

It also pledged to investigate corruption behind serious accidents and mass incidents and impose severe penalties on corrupt officials.