Seventeen officials punished after mine accident cover-up

A total of 17 officials have been investigated and punished for bribery or abuse of power in a coal mine accident cover-up in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said Wednesday.

Six have been sentenced and another 11 prosecuted, according to the SPP.

A gas blast killed eight people in a coal mine in Chongqing's Wushan County on Sept. 13, 2013. The mine owner and local administrative authorities failed to report it to their superiors in time and covered up the casualties, it said.

An investigation after authorities were tipped off in November 2013 found that the mine was operating illegally as it had not obtained approvals after being closed on June 25, 2010.

Local prosecutors found that the coal industry bureau of Wushan County and Dengjia Township government failed to supervise or investigate the mine's illegal operations. Instead, they facilitated the illegal activity and deliberately covered up the accident, which delayed investigation and handling of the accident, according to prosecutors.

Following the investigation into the 17 officials, the local procuratorate alleged 12 of them were guilty of abuse of power and dereliction of duty, and 11 of them were suspected of taking bribes. The officials include the former head, deputy head, and secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Committee of the bureau and township.