Three coal mine officials were removed from their posts in the wake of a fatal gas blast that killed 74 miners in north China's Shanxi Province on Sunday, said a source from the State Administration of Work Safety on Monday.

The three officials were said to be the chief of Tunlan coal mine,the engineer-in-chief and a deputy chief of the coal mine in charge of work safety.

No further details regarding their identities are available at the moment.

The accident occurred at around 2:20 AM on Sunday, while 436 miners were working underground at the Tunlan Coal Mine of Shanxi Coking Coal Group in Gujiao City, about 50 km away from Taiyuan, the provincial capital.

In addition to the 74 fatalities, the gas blast injured 114 miners, most of whom showed symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, according to rescuers.

Five of the injured workers, who were said to be in critical condition as of Sunday evening, were transferred to two hospitals in Taiyuan. The two hospitals are the People's Hospital of Shanxi Province and the No.2 Hospital affiliated to Shanxi Medical University.

Xiao Chuanshi, president of the No.2 Hospital, said Monday the injured were expected to be fully recovered within three weeks.

(Xinhua News Agency February 23, 2009)