The vice governor of Liaoning Province was suspended yesterday in the aftermath of the coal mine accident earlier this month that killed 214 people - China's worst reported mining accident in decades.
The gas explosion at the Sunjiawan colliery near Fuxin in Liaoning was the deadliest since 1949.
The State Council, or China's Cabinet, announced the suspension of Vice Governor Liu Guoqiang, Xinhua news agency reported. Liu was responsible for the province's industry and work safety, it said.
In another development, eastern Jiangxi Province has ordered 60 coal mines to suspend operation and improve safety facilities by the end of July.
These mines will have to be shut down unless the improvement meets safety standards by the deadline, the provincial coal mine industry watchdog said.
Jiangxi has about 880 collieries, 780 of which, or 89 percent, are township-operated.
China's mines are considered among the world's deadliest, with fatalities accounting for 80 percent of the worldwide industry total.
Last year, 6,027 Chinese mine workers were killed in floods, fires and explosions - an average of about 16 deaths a day.
Mine operators are often blamed for putting profits ahead of safety.
(AP/Shanghai Daily)