China's State Council has assembled an investigation team to probe the deadly coal mine blast in north China's Shanxi Province, the authorities said on Wednesday.

A gas explosion occurred at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan County, Changzhi City, Shanxi Province, at 7:29 p.m. on May 22, resulting in heavy casualties.

The investigation team, led by the Ministry of Emergency Management, includes participants from the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the National Energy Administration, the National Mine Safety Administration, and the People's Government of Shanxi Province.

The investigation team held its first plenary meeting on Wednesday night. The meeting emphasized that the investigation team must conduct a rigorous and thorough investigation to identify the causes of the accident as well as the responsibilities of local authorities, industry regulators and the enterprise.

It called for strict punishment in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations.

Meanwhile, the meeting required drawing profound lessons, implementing comprehensive measures to inspect and overhaul safety risks and hidden dangers, and resolutely preventing and mitigating major and serious accidents.

(With input from Xinhua)