Posted on 11/23/2010 9:18:11 PM PST by Justaham
Police say all 29 workers missing in a New Zealand coal mine are dead after a second explosion Wednesday that no one could have survived. Explosive and poisonous gases had prevented rescuers from entering the mine to search for the missing men since an initial explosion on Friday at the Pike River Mine. But even if any had survived, the second blast would have killed them, police superintendent Gary Knowles said.
"Unfortunately I have to inform the public of New Zealand at 2:37 p.m. today there was another massive explosion underground and based on that explosion no one would have survived," said Knowles, in charge of the rescue operation. "The blast was prolific, just as severe as the first blast."
The second blast came after the first progress in days for the rescue attempt, when a drilling team broke a narrow shaft through to the section of the mine where the 29 workers were believed to have been working. And two robots had crawled their way into the tunnel, giving authorities their first view of the inside of the mine.
It was not immediately known what triggered the second blast, which came almost exactly five days after the initial explosion. Pike River chief executive said the rescue teams were not doing anything that could have triggered it.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Good Lord. Prayers.
Prayers will continue.
Prayers for their families!
Prayers up.
Oh man. It sounded like they were going to be able to save them a couple of days ago. Prayer up for the families.
Dear God.
The explosive hazards in a coal mine are far greater than any other type of mine. Many mines through the years have been closed with the entrance caved in to extinguish mine fires. As a young man, my grandfather participated in reopening one of those mines near Hazard, KY to recover bodies years after the disaster occurred.
It was a shock to hear the story when I was young, that the miners had pistols in leather holsters under their coveralls.
Hussein will probably use this as a reason to stop ALL mining here in the US, even though it didn’t happen here.
The miners can join the out of work Gulf oil workers in the unemployment line.......
How horrible if anyone survived the first blast believing they’d be rescued then to have this happen. May the Lord have mercy on their souls and on their families during this time.
Prayers for those involved and their families.
Amen God be good to them and protect their families.
With todays technology these explosions should never, never happen. These are not accidents but people not paying attention to their own mine plans. Proper ventilation, curtains diverting air to the proper working area, rock dusting, keeping overflowed belts shoveled, water spray at the cutter heads working, all maintenance work involving open flames approved and ALL methane monitors working properly. 1% methane a warning is issued in the mine and steps need to be put into place immediately. 2% evacuation of the mine. Anything above that is an explosion waiting to happen.
Just like Upper Big Branch (Massey) this was not an accident. Someone cut a corner. When the explosion occurs it is extremely violent and probably no one has any pain. The build up of gases, one just goes to sleep and never wakes up.
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