Local authorities Monday gave up the search for survivors from a flooded mine in south China after weeks of rescue efforts, setting the death toll in the fatal accident at 123.

With the approval of the Guangdong Province, the rescue headquarters ordered the cessation of the rescue work on Monday afternoon, finding no hope of survival for the 117 miners who had been trapped for 23 days in the Daxing Coal Mine of Xingning City in the province.

The bodies of six miners killed in the accident were found earlier.

Experts at the site asserted Monday that there could be no chance of survival for the miners in the flooded coal mine after such a long time.

In addition, the shaft has held huge amount of water and the geological situation underground is too complicated to continue the rescue operation, said He Jianqing, spokesman with the headquarters, at a press conference.

During the weekend, rescuers had to suspend the search when a section of the mine collapsed.

After being filled with water for about three weeks, the coal mine may encounter more dangers and the rescuers may risk their lives if the searching operation continues, experts said after an assessment of the security conditions in the shaft.

The accident occurred at 1:30 p.m. 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.

At least 11 people responsible for the illegal mine were caughtattempting to flee after the accident.

The central authority has dispatched special investigators to look into whether there is corruption behind the accident.

Families of the victims will be given proper arrangement and the investigators will continue the probe, the spokesman assured at the press conference.

Chinese coal mines are notorious for its high death rate. Information from the General Administration of Work Safety showed the country turned out about 2 billion tons of coal last year, with the loss of lives of 6,000 miners.

Coal mine accidents across the country killed 2,672 more minersin the first six months of the year, a rise of 33 percent from thesame period last year. Most of the killed were farmers who just left the land to work on coal mines.

The General Administration of Work Safety has urged local governments to step up administration and supervision over mining entities, as well as improve a sense of responsibility in order toprevent occurrence of similar coal mine disasters.

Some experts also suggest that China should revise its existinglaws to render heavier penalties to those who are held directly responsible for fatal coal mine disasters.

In accordance with the existing Chinese laws, the people who are held directly responsible for major accidents in workplaces will be meted out seven years of imprisonment at most if convicted.

Editor: Wing