A vice mayor of Fukang City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has been arrested for being accountable for a coal mine gas blast that claimed 83 lives in the city on July 11, sources with local procuratorial organ confirmed on Friday.

Besides the former vice major who was previously in charge of work safety in the city, another six people were arrested, including chairman of the board, managers and technicians of the Shenlong Coal Mine that suffered the fatal gas blast three months ago, the sources added.

According to the People's Daily, Supervision Minister Li Zhilun said recently that investigation found the vice mayor took bribes from the Shenlong coal mine, engaged in the mine's coal transport business and raked in profits from it.

The gas explosion took place around 2:30 AM on July 11 in Shenlong Coal Mine of Fukang County, 62 km away from Urumqi, the regional capital, when 87 people were working in the shaft. Only four of them survived.

(Xinhua News Agency October 28, 2005)