An team under China's State Council was set up on Tuesday to investigate the coal mine flooding accident which claimed at least 35 lives.

The team, led by Liang Jiakun, deputy director of the State Administration of Work Safety, is composed of officials from the national and Henan provincial safety production supervision departments.

The group is responsible for identifying the cause of, and losses and culpability in, the flooding of the Sigou Colliery in central China's Henan Province. A total of 76 miners were working in the pit, only 34 of who escaped. Rescuers have not yet found seven trapped miners.

Ten officials of the mine suspected of being responsible for the accident have been detained.

During a supervisory visit to the accident site last Sunday, Li Yizhong, director of the State Administration of Work Safety, urged a thorough probe into the accident and giving stern punishments to those held accountable.

An initial investigation found that though the private coal mine was unlicensed, local supervision officials turned a blind eye toward it.

(Xinhua News Agency December 21, 2005)