A total of 105 people will be prosecuted in connection with three deadly coal mine accidents that killed 159 people in China in the past one year, an official said Wednesday.

Two of the accidents happened in Pingdingshan in Henan province in June this year and September 2009, while the third occurred in Xiangtan county in Hunan province in January this year, said Huang Yi, spokesman with the State Administration of Work Safety.

The three accidents caused an economic loss of 87.5 million yuan ($12.81 million) and the two coal mines were closed down and production licenses suspended, Xinhua reported.

Another 71 people, including Pingdingshan's mayor and vice mayor, 'not directly responsible' for the accidents, have been given disciplinary punishment, he said.