Ten suspects in connection with the dynamite explosion on June 26 that killed 12 people and injured 20 others in northwest China's Shaanxi Province have been arrested, local police said on Sunday.

These suspects, including several relatives of Su Yingxiang, a village official whose dynamite caused the accident, were accused of selling, transporting and storing dynamite illegally.

The explosion occurred at noon in the Laogaochuan Village, Fugu County of Shaanxi. Most of the victims were migrant workers living in five houses owned by Su Yingxiang. Su is still at large.

After the accident the Fugu government issued an order to search for all illegally stored dynamite. To date, police have confiscated 6,059 kilograms of dynamite and 652 detonators.

(Xinhua News Agency July 17, 2006)