Six miners have died in a covered-up coal mine shaft collapse in north China's Shanxi Province three weeks ago, local authorities said Tuesday.

The accident occurred on January 5 in the Wanli pit of Taiyang Coal Mine owned by Lanhua Group, the Jincheng municipal government said in a statement.

The government launched an investigation into the cover-up on January 12 after it received a tip-off.

Police have arrested three coal pit managers, the engineer-in-chief, the mine worker captain, and also four work safety inspectors from Lanhua Group.

Investigation into the cause of the accident is under way.

(Xinhua News Agency January 27, 2010)