GUANGZHOU, Aug. 29 (Xinhuanet) -- The rescue operation at a flooded colliery in southern China was stopped Monday and the local authority announced that 123 miners were killed in the fatal accident.

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    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 geological situation is too complicated to continue the rescue operation.

    The accident occurred at 1:30 p.m. on August 7. Only four miners escaped. Enditem