The operation to find 13 people trapped in a collapsed gypsum mine in east China's Shandong Province since Dec. 25 was called off on Saturday, with rescuers concluding there was no chance of them still being alive 43 days after the incident.

The tunnels of the mine owned by the Yurong Trade Company in Pingyi County are totally collapsed and flooded, said the search and rescue team.

Investigation of the collapse, which occurred when 29 miners were working underground, is under way.

Eleven miners were saved immediately and one confirmed dead. Another four were lifted through a newly drilled rescue shaft 36 days later.