China's mining industry is among the most dangerous in the world [File: Reuters]

The 12 defendants were given prison terms ranging from one to five years, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

A court ruled they were negligent in their duties or abused power.

Several other officials were either removed or resigned from their posts.

The industrial landslide occurred at the Tashan iron ore mine near Linfen City in Shanxi Province on September 8, 2008.

It was caused by the collapse of a reservoir holding debris, from an illegal mine.

The dam was being used to contain mining waste and heavy rain caused the overloaded barrier to break.

Illegal mines

An investigation after the incident showed the dumping reservoir was built in violation of regulations and had almost no safety inspections.

The disaster underscored two major public safety concerns in China - the failure to enforce protective measures in the country's notoriously deadly mines, and the unsound state of many of its bridges, dams and other ageing infrastructure.

The country's mining industry is among the most dangerous in the world.

Despite efforts in Beijing to improve regulations, safety measures are often ignored by local officials in their pursuit of higher profits.

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