Body recovery will be slow
GREYMOUTH, New Zealand — Flags hung at half-staff, churchgoers gathered at special services and lawmakers broke into a solemn hymn in Parliament on Thursday, as New Zealanders mourned 29 men killed in the nation’s worst mining disaster in decades.
A huge gas-fueled explosion deep underground Wednesday ended hopes of rescuing the miners, who were caught in a similar blast five days earlier.
Recovery teams were prevented from entering the mine by high levels of potentially explosive methane and other toxic gases still filling the mine’s tunnels, and officials said it could be weeks or months before the victims’ bodies could be removed and returned to their grieving families.
Mine operators said Thursday they were determined to bring out the men’s bodies.
“I still want them back and their families want them back and we’ll be doing everything we can to make that happen. My love and support are with those guys,” said Peter Whittall, the CEO of Pike River Coal.
But testing showed gas levels surged again soon after Wednesday’s explosion and another blast was possible. Methane was leaking from the coal seam, and a smoldering fire somewhere in the mine was producing other toxic gas and a potential ignition source, officials say.
Mining experts planned to expel oxygen from the mine, which could fuel a further explosion. One option was to pump inert gas into the mine to push the oxygen out, another was to seal the mine up to stifle any burning then enter when it was safe, Whittall said.
The recovery effort could take weeks, he said.
Prime Minister John Key said previous experience overseas suggests the operation could take months.
Key met again with victims’ relatives Thursday, and promised them a thorough investigation.
“They have accepted that their loved ones are gone — but they want answers,” Key told reporters.
