New Zealand Miners Missing
There are major concerns today about the welfare of 27 miners after an explosion at a remote New Zealand mine.
No contact has been made with the miners after the explosion at around 15:30 local time.
The mine is operated by Pike River Coal said that 27 personal remained unaccounted for of which 15 were direct employees and 12 were local contractors.
The explosion could have been caused by methane gas or the coal dust itself, crews on the scene said that a nearby cabin had also been blown away which suggested that it was a very powerful explosion.
Specialist crews and medical staff arrived quickly at the scene as soon as it was realised that something had happened but many were sent away again after it became clear that this was not going to be a quick rescue and will take days.
Until the mine is certified to be safe for rescuers to enter then no one is allowed to enter as there is a high chance of secondary explosions if the ventilation system is not working properly.
Photo: alarch
Comments