Seven people have been arrested in connection with a coal mine accident that killed 13 in central China's Hunan Province, local procuratorate sources said Wednesday.

According to the Hengyang Municipal Procuratorate, the seven were identified as Li Guiya, Liu Wucheng, Liao Aiguo, Liao Chuping, Liu Heizi, Peng Qingchun and Liao Nianling. Liao Nianling was the safety director of the Wuqi Coal Mine and the other six were the stockholders of the mine.

The procuratorate said the seven people are responsible because they organized illegal production in the mine which was ordered to close by the local work safety administration for lack of safety licenses.

They did not take measures to rescue the trapped workers in a proactive manner after the accident, the procuratorate said.

The private mine was flooded at about 5 p.m. on March 21 in Sanjiaotang Township, Changning City. The mine managers fled the scene without reporting the accident to local authorities, police said earlier.

(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2009)