Three people who were believed to be responsible for a deadly coal mine blast in central China's Hunan Province late October were arrested, sources with the local procuratorate confirmed Sunday.

The coal mine, Xialiuchong, in the county of Hengshan, Hunan Province,?blasted on Oct. 29, killing 29 miners and injuring six others who were working underground.

The three people, who were only given their surnames as Deng, Yang and Tan, were in charge of safety, production and overall management of the mine, according to a circular released by the procuratorate in Henshan County of Hunan.

The coal mine, Xialiuchong, in the county of Hengshan blasted on Oct. 29, killing 29 miners and injuring six others who were working underground,

The procuratorate accused the three of ignoring safety hazards in the mine as well as the fact that the mine's safety permit had expired.

Investigations showed that the coal mine blast was caused when misdirected, highly concentrated mine gas was ignited by electrical sparks.

Luo Lin, head of the State Administration of Work Safety, had said the severe accident was caused by "human negligence," including insufficient investment in work safety equipment and a lack of safety education among miners.

The coal mine is a state-owned one with more than 160 miners.