An official of the state-run coal mine in northeastern Heilongjiang Province, where 108 people were killed in a blast last Saturday, was removed from post Sunday, according to a company spokesman.

Xu Zhengdong, deputy head of Xinxing Coal Mine and secretary of the mine's committee of Communist Party of China (CPC) filed a resignation after the blast, taking management responsibility. The company's CPC committee approved his resignation Sunday, said Zhang Jinguang, spokesman of Heilongjiang Longmei Mining Holding Group's subsidiary in Hegang.

Three other officials were sacked on the day when the accident occurred, including head of the coal mine Yue Chaosheng, deputy head and supervisor of production safety Liu Zongtuan and chief engineer Dong Qinkui.

Safety officials and investigators have blamed poor management and inadequate safety precautions for the coal mine blast.

(Xinhua News Agency November 28, 2009)