TAIPEI - Kaohsiung city prosecutors on Thursday summoned mayor Chen Chu for questioning on alleged dereliction of duty in a deadly gas blast that claimed dozens of lives in Taiwan in late July.

Kaohsiung City Council speaker and several KMT councilors pressed charges against Chen with local prosecutors on Aug. 27, accusing her of "neglect of duty" that led to the loss of lives, after gas explosions killed 30 and injured 310 in the city on July 31.

Kaohsiung prosecutors issued a subpoena to Chen last Friday, making her the highest ranking official summoned for the probe. Deputy mayor Liu Shih-fang was also subpoenaed on Thursday.