Six government officials, including Wang Zhuowen, deputy head of Zhuzhou's Youxian county in Hunan province, were removed from their posts after a deadly gas leak on Sunday killed 18 people, local authorities said on Monday.

Five of the officials were from the county's work safety watchdog and coal industry service center.

The leak occurred at around 11 am on Sunday at the Jilinqiao coal mine in Youxian county.