Twenty-one Shaanxi officials including the provincial Governor have been disciplined following a spate of major accidents in April.
Cheng Andong, Governor of Shaanxi province, was given an administrative penalty - a moderate internal disciplinary sanction for government officials. He was told to learn a lesson from the accidents and hand in an in-depth self-criticism report, Xinhua reported.
Twenty other senior and mid-level government and party officials held responsible for the accidents were also given administrative and party sanctions.
The sanctions are seen as a warning to government officials to take heed of safety issues within their jurisdictions and avoid further disasters.
'We must eliminate bureaucracy and ensure the safety of the general public,' a Xinhua report said.
Three major accidents occurred in April, less than 20 days after the State Council issued a document which vowed to hold senior local leaders responsible for major disasters that result in heavy casualties.
On April 6, a gas explosion at one of the Tongchuan Mining Bureau's coal mines killed 38 people and injured seven.
