New blast: all miners feared dead

Family members in tears after being told the miners are dead.

A second explosion has rocked the NZ mine where 29 men are trapped and authorities have told their families that none of them would have survived.

The man in charge of the rescue operation, Superintendent Gary Knowles, said that he was at the mine when the blast occurred, and it was ‘‘horrific’’.

"Unfortunately I have to inform the public of New Zealand that there was another massive explosion underground and based on that explosion no one survived,’’ Superintendent Knowles said.

Superintendent Knowles has broken the news to the families, who were ‘‘distraught’’.

‘‘It is our belief that no one has survived,’’ Superintendent Knowles said.
He said the men had ‘‘perished’’.

"We are now going into recovery mode."



Earlier, it was reported that the possibility that no mine or rescue teams will ever enter the New Zealand mine where 29 men remain trapped is being considered by authorities.

Superintendent Gary Knowles, who is in charge of the rescue operation in Greymouth, said a fire continued to burn inside the Pike River Coal mine and there were concerns about the high levels of methane and carbon monoxide.

Asked whether it would ever be safe for rescue workers to enter the mine, where the miners have been trapped since Friday, Superintendent Knowles conceded that "it may never reach that point".

He also said: "While I can understand [the families'] frustration, we are doing everything possible to go underground. Obviously over time, hopes diminish."

Abandoned mines on New Zealand's west coast continue to burn for decades after they were closed to mining.

The mine's chief executive, Peter Whittall, said the gases that escaped from the bore hole contained carbon monoxide, methane and very little oxygen.

"As we expected, although not as families hoped ... the air that came out of the hole was extremely high in carbon monoxide, very high in methane and fairly low in oxygen," he said.

Sending a rescue team down the mine at this stage would only endanger the lives of rescuers as well as the trapped miners, Mr Whittall added.

"I think everyone in the room knows we’re going to get as many guys out as we can," he said.

"If it’s 29 that’s great, if it’s not, we’ll deal with that."

Drill breaks through

Drilling of a small vertical bore shaft broke through earlier today and hot air and gas rushed up the hole.

"It had hot gas rushing up it and a lot of hot air as well," New Zealand Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee confirmed.

"It will give a very good picture of ... the heat state. They are looking for a heat source.

"It is very significant information to the rescue planning," he told NewstalkZB,

Hat found

A robot sent down into the mine captured footage of a miner's hat with the light still on, Superintendent Knowles said.

"It's pretty amazing that it was still working underground," he said.

A second robot from New Zealand Defence is still in the tunnel but did not have much functioning time left.

A third robot from Australia arrived this morning and would be tested later today, Superintendent Knowles said.

Mr Whittall said officials had a "sobering" meeting with families today.

"There's obviously a very large understanding among the group that the gases we are finding from this borehole ... the length of time ... is making their hopes diminish and making it more difficult for them to hold out that hope that all 29 of those are waiting for us as we have hoped from day one," Mr Whittall, who appeared haggard and drawn, said.

"I certainly hope they're waiting for us down there. I certainly hope I see them again."

After three days of drilling through rugged terrain and dense rock, crews finally broke through to the mine at 7am (5am AEDT) today.

Officials had yet to determine whether a camera could be sent down the bore hole, Mr Whittall said.

Mr Whittall said footage from the first robot had not shown any sign of the miners.

"It doesn't show you anyone is there, it doesn't show you that anyone was there," he said.

Reports four of the miners were in a safer area were not true, Superintendent Knowles stressed.

"A lot of comments you have made are not helpful and distressing for the families," Superintendent Knowles said during a heated exchange with reporters.

Read More

http://www.smh.com.au/world/new-blast-all-miners-feared-dead-20101124-1862p.html

Map reveals miners' location

Pike River CEO Peter Whittall this morning outlined where authorities believe the 29 men are trapped within the mine's tunnel network.

He described the main tunnel leading off to the right of the map as the "barrel of the a gun". This tunnel is about 2.5 kilometres in length.

Although he could not confirm exactly where in the mine the explosion occurred, he said it rocketed down the main shaft where it knocked Daniel Rockhouse off his loader.

He said Mr Rockhouse was in a small shaft off the main tunnel just to the right of the map's border when the blast hit.

Mr Whittall said that because Mr Rockhouse was not in the main tunnel "he was knocked over but not seriously injured".

Russell Smith was further up the tunnel "several hundred metres" towards the mine's entrance.

From the two men's escape, authorities know that the main shaft up to the point where Mr Rockhouse was found is clear of rubble of debris.

Mr Whittall said that air was currently flowing down the main tunnel and out of the ventilation shaft.

He said there are systems which work to keep fresh air flowing throughout the mine, but is unsure if these are operating.

Mr Whittall said the drill hole currently being bored is about halfway between the end of the entrance tunnel and the far end of the mine.

"We're expecting that this hole will be into a gassy environment," the Pike River chief executive said.

He said there is the expectation there will be gas in the area left of the ventilation shaft, though he could not confirm exactly where.

He said the location of the second place where they plan to drill is very close to where they believe the miners are.

"We don't know what information that would give us, we haven't started that hole yet.

"But we are starting to clear that area and ready to take the rig from one spot to another.

"We are also investigating a second rig to mobilise to that site. However, if the air is heavily concentrated in the first hole, [the second hole] may not give us more information from a gas point of view but that's something the rescue service will deal with," he said.

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Rescuers preparing for mine deaths

New Zealand police have admitted for the first time that they are preparing for loss of life in the mine explosion that has trapped 29 men underground.

The men, including two Australians, have been missing since an underground explosion at the Pike River mine, near Greymouth on the South Island, on Friday.

Rescuers have started drilling a 15cm-diameter hole into the mine, hoping it will allow them to take air samples and use a fibre optic cable to see conditions underground.

The drill has covered about 135 metres of the 160 metres it will need to travel to reach the level where the men are believed to be trapped.

The police officer in charge of the operation, Superintendent Gary Knowles, says it is still a search and rescue mission.

"We still remain optimistic. We are still keeping an open mind," he said.

"But we are planning for all outcomes and also as a part of this process we're planning for the possible loss of life as a possible result of what's occurred underground.

"We keep an open mind but we are planning for that."

Pike River Coal chief executive Peter Whittall says the 162-metre hole should be completed today.

"We've got a number of opportunities once we can get the hole through to sample gas," he said.

"From that point we'll have an opportunity to put laser imaging gear down the hole which can be used to gather a large amount of data."

He says that camera will be able to give images showing any equipment or rocks in the area underground.

Mr Whittall says progress has slowed as the drill reaches harder rock.

"It may take several more hours to get through that final section," he said.

Robot testing

Mr Whittall says American experts are assisting with the use of seismic equipment that could help find the trapped men.

"They have suggested we use seismic gear to listen on top of the ground for any movement underground, and we will be, if possible, deploying that equipment," he said.

A remote-operated robot is also being prepared to be sent into the collapsed mine shaft to attempt to make contact with the men and assess any damage.

Mr Whittall corrected earlier reports that said experts were working to adapt the robot so it would not spark a fresh explosion in the mine shaft, which is believed to be full of toxic gases.

He says it will not be safe to use the robot in anything but fresh air, which has been detected as far as 1.8km into the 2.5km-long mine.

NZ defence force personnel have been putting the robot through its paces to see if it can drag fibre optic cable the length of the mine.

Today the men's names were released and read out at a briefing attended by the High Commissioners of both Britain and Australia, along with New Zealand's prime minister, John Key.

Mr Key has visited the mine for a second time and met with families of the missing miners.

He says it is important any rescue operation does not further endanger the miners.

"The risk is that by going into the mine they then destabilise the atmospheric environment and the introduction of more oxygen or different gases as a result of their activity leads to a second explosion," he said.

"We've seen that in previous mine rescues. So in an attempt to rescue the guys you could potentially end up killing them as well as the rescue people themselves. Now we can't take that risk."

Among those missing are two Australians, 49-year-old Willy Joynson and 25-year-old Joshua Ufer, both from Queensland.

Their relatives, along with other families have arrived in Greymouth to visit the mine where their loved ones are trapped.

Fear and tension in the community is rising as the operation to locate the men underground drags on.

Read More

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/22/3073406.htm?section=justin