A total of 63 people responsible for the coal mine flooding that claimed 123 lives four months ago in southern China's Guangdong Province have been punished, the provincial discipline supervision authority announced Saturday.

Among them, 22, including the chief of the provincial work safety watchdog and many other provincial-level officials, were given punishment in accordance with the disciplines of the Communist Party of China and government punishment.

Another 41 received criminal punishment on dereliction of duty, bribery, or detention.

The Daxing Coal Mine of Xingning City was flooded on Aug. 7 when a total of 127 miners were working underground. Only four miners escaped.

The mine had been operating without a licence and in violation of local government orders to shut down for inspections after a July flooding at another pit in the same city that killed 16.

Editor: Yan