Seven people in Southwestern China's Yunnan province were sentenced to prison, from three to six years, over a fatal mine accident, Fuyuan county people's court said on Tuesday.

A gas blast at a coal mine in Shizong county on Nov 10, 2011, killed 43 people and resulted in economic losses of up to 39.7 million yuan ($6.4 million).

According to the court, the safety supervision bureau in 2008 expressed concern at the mine's safety procedures.

This resulted in its safety permits being withheld from November 2010 to November 2011. However, the mine continued to operate.

The court found that the mine operators exposed miners to unsafe working conditions.