BEIJING - An initial investigation into Saturday's deadly coal mine blast that claimed 29 lives in central China's Hunan province has revealed that poor management was to blame, according to the country's work safety authorities.

A total of 35 miners were working underground in the Xialiuchong Coal Mine in the city of Hengyang when the accident occurred at around 6 pm Saturday.

In addition to the 29 who died, six people were rescued and sent to hospital. They are receiving further treatments and one of them is in critical condition.

Luo Lin, head of the State Administration of Work Safety, reached the site on Saturday night to direct the rescue operation, which included over 40 rescuers, and has since started the investigation into the cause of the blast.

On Monday, Luo defined the Hengyang coal mine blast as a severe accident caused by "human negligence," including insufficient investment in work safety equipment and a lack of safety education among miners.

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

The coal mine had been ordered to suspend operation prior to the accident, but it continued operating illegally, ignoring the order. Mine operators failed to organize miners to evacuate the site when the gas explosion occurred, according to the investigation.

A 40-year-old mining enterprise, state-owned Xialiuchong Coal Mine, located in Changjiang township of Hengshan county, Hengyang city, was a licensed mine with more than 160 miners.