Four government officials were fired Friday and another suspended for a mine accident that killed one miner and trapped 20 others.

The accident happened in Jiyuan, central China's Henan Province at the Mazhuang coal mine in Kejing Town at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday.

Twenty-eight miners were working below ground when the mine flooded. Seven escaped.

Rescuers told Xinhua on Friday that hope for survival of the 20 trapped miners was slim. They recovered one body from the mine on Thursday.

The government and Communist Party of China (CPC) committee of Jiyuan, jointly decided to sack four officials for the accident. They were Zhang Guojun, deputy director of the city's industrial and economic development bureau; Li Tianfu, deputy director of the coal industry administration bureau; Li Yingfeng, head of the Kejing Town government and his deputy Li Jie.

Director of the city's industrial and economic development bureau, He Zhengxin, has been suspended from his post.

(Xinhua News Agency October 31, 2008)