Emotions spill over in New Zealand coal mine drama
Sunday, 21 November 2010
GREYMOUTH, Nov 20 (Reuters): New Zealand rescuers have yet to make contact with 29 trapped miners as fears of lethal gas levels prevented any chance of a rescue Saturday, 24 hours after an explosion ripped through the remote colliery dug into the side of a mountain.
Air quality tests were being taken at the ventilation shafts, adding to the agonising wait for family and friends of the miners, who range in age from 17 to 62.
The mayor of the Grey district, who briefed family members on the gas dangers, said frustration was starting to show.
"There's a little bit of anger, there's a little bit of despair. It was the most emotional meeting yet," Tony Kokshoorn told Reuters.
"There's tension building all round, people aren't talking about the worst, but I can see it on their faces."
The explosion was likely to have been caused by methane gas, Pike River Coal chief executive Peter Whittall told a news conference in Greymouth, the nearest town to the mine on the rugged South Island's west coast.
"The air quality tests from the samples taken this morning have been inconclusive," Whittall told reporters, adding testing was continuing.
District police commander Superintendent Gary Knowles said there was a "fine balance" in deciding when to allow rescuers into the mine.
"I'm not going to put people underground and risk further lives," he said.
The small size of the search area in the two-year-old mine and the time to plan and prepare while the air is checked meant the actual search itself would be quick, Knowles said.
"Once that window of opportunity opens, we only need a short timeframe to get in there, look at what's down there, and make a decision about what we are going to do," Knowles said.
Air quality tests were being taken at the ventilation shafts, adding to the agonising wait for family and friends of the miners, who range in age from 17 to 62.
The mayor of the Grey district, who briefed family members on the gas dangers, said frustration was starting to show.
"There's a little bit of anger, there's a little bit of despair. It was the most emotional meeting yet," Tony Kokshoorn told Reuters.
"There's tension building all round, people aren't talking about the worst, but I can see it on their faces."
The explosion was likely to have been caused by methane gas, Pike River Coal chief executive Peter Whittall told a news conference in Greymouth, the nearest town to the mine on the rugged South Island's west coast.
"The air quality tests from the samples taken this morning have been inconclusive," Whittall told reporters, adding testing was continuing.
District police commander Superintendent Gary Knowles said there was a "fine balance" in deciding when to allow rescuers into the mine.
"I'm not going to put people underground and risk further lives," he said.
The small size of the search area in the two-year-old mine and the time to plan and prepare while the air is checked meant the actual search itself would be quick, Knowles said.
"Once that window of opportunity opens, we only need a short timeframe to get in there, look at what's down there, and make a decision about what we are going to do," Knowles said.