Sixteen officials have been penalized for poor supervision after the attempted concealment of a fatal mine blast in northeast China's Liaoning Province, local authorities said Friday.

Hou Yunfeng, head of the Benxi Safety Inspection Bureau's coal mine department, and 15 other safety inspection officials have been given intra-Party and administrative penalties, according to a statement from the Liaoning Coal Mine Safety Inspection Bureau (LCMSIB).

Mine-owner Qin Fengxin and manager Zhou Yan'gui have been detained by the police.

The Xincheng Coal Mining Co. mine in Liaoning's Benxi City exploded on April 10, killing six miners. The company did not report the accident.

On May 20, 40 days after the accident, the LCMSIB learned about the accident. The bureau and Benxi police launched a joint investigation the next day.

Investigations show the mine was ill-managed and in poor condition. The blast was triggered by a spark as miners dismantled metal rails and pipes.

The mining company was fined 350,000 yuan for the accident and 3 million yuan for trying to conceal it.

(Xinhua News Agency June 12, 2010)