Officials fired over coal mine explosion

The Romanian Government says seven officials have been dismissed over inadequate safety standards that are believed to have led to a fatal explosion in a coal mine.

Those sacked include a junior industry minister, Pomlilu Budulan, and a department head in the ministry, Adrian Balanescu.

Fourteen miners were killed in the blast in the town of Vulcan in the Jiu Valley, 400km (250 miles) west of the capital, Bucharest two weeks ago.

A government commission investigating the explosion said numerous safety rules had been violated in the mine.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service