Seven government officials including a vice mayor of Heshan, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have been suspended in the wake of a fatal mine accident that claimed nine lives.

"Related government officials lack the sense of responsibility as revealed by the accident," said Li Xinyuan, vice mayor of Laibin City that administers Heshan.

Investigation into the cause of the mine gas blast was still under way. However, Li said there were work safety loopholes in Heshan.

All the coal mining enterprises in Guangxi have suspended production and were currently undergoing work safety scrutiny.

The gas blast took place on Friday morning in a mine of Heshan Coal Mine Co. Ltd, killing nine miners and injuring nine others. The company is the largest of its kind in Guangxi with an annual production capacity of around 8 million tons.

(Xinhua News Agency October 15, 2008)