29 Miners now dead. a further explosion ended all hopes.

[southernGuild]

No joke.........Late yesterday an explosion in a coal mine very near Greymouth, N.Z trapped 27-29 miners. The Pike River Coal Mine is Very near Coasties world, almost at his doorstep, at present, things are still developing, but there are 29 men underground, and unaccounted for. Officials and spokesmen are quite hopeful that they can get them out alive, but no word from the missing as yet.
stay tuned.

 

[coastie99]

Re: 29 Miners trapped near Coastie

No joke.........Late yesterday an explosion in a coal mine very near Greymouth, N.Z trapped 27-29 miners. The Pike River Coal Mine is Very near Coasties world, almost at his doorstep, at present, things are still developing, but there are 29 men underground, and unaccounted for. Officials and spokesmen are quite hopeful that they can get them out alive, but no word from the missing as yet.
stay tuned.

Thanks South.

Yes, only about 6 miles as the crow flies. We're a tiny town, and everybody will know / be related to, at least one person in there.

Rescue teams have just been cleared to enter the mine, but, according to an expert here in town, there very likely wont be survivors !

This is just bloody hideous !

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4365223 ... Coast-mine

 

[capnjuan]

Re: 29 Miners trapped near Coastie

... why so worried sister, wife ... said the silver bells of Whyte ....

So much risk ... so little to show for it.

 

[twocorgis]

Re: 29 Miners trapped near Coastie

Sad news indeed, and not one of the better ways to make a living. Here's hoping for the best possible outcome.

 

[taabru45]

Re: 29 Miners trapped near Coastie

Sad news indeed, and not one of the better ways to make a living. Here's hoping for the best possible outcome.

+1

 

[Qvart]

Re: 29 Miners trapped near Coastie

Fingers crossed...

 

[Scratch]

Re: 29 Miners trapped near Coastie

Tragic news. Do you know anyone involved, Gary?

 

[coastie99]

Re: 29 Miners trapped near Coastie

Tragic news. Do you know anyone involved, Gary?

No names yet Ken.

Pretty fair bet that we'll know somebody.

 

[coastie99]

Re: 29 Miners trapped near Coastie

No further "official" news yet, but it would appear that the media and other cling-ons have been told, in the nicest West Coast way to "f*#k off.
And you can believe me that West Coasters can be very frank !!

Hopefully some of our "News" boofheads will cop a serve !!

 

[GuildFS4612CE]

Re: 29 Miners trapped near Coastie

Gary, you're a long ways from most of us...as the crow flies...but you're very close in all our hearts.

Hoping for the best...

 

[Scratch]

Re: 29 Miners trapped near Coastie

Read a news flash in the local morning paper. Seems at least three or four made their way to the top? Lots of concern about trapped methane gas which was not an issue in the Chile cave in...

 

[coastie99]

Re: 29 Miners trapped near Coastie

Ken, two men escaped right at the beginning, but still 29 down there and no communication has been received from them.

A rescue attempt was to have been made last night at around 2000 our time. It's now 0500 here and still no beginning to the rescue attempt.
There's still a dangerously-high level of methane gas.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4368715 ... ver-miners

 

[southernGuild]

Re: 29 Miners trapped near Coastie

Dont know what coverage the States is getting on this one, but it sure is big news here.
Greymouth is all over the news ( the Town, not 'grey-mouthed' Coastie himself, though I half expect to see him pop up and give the annoying newshounds a serve. The 'brekfast 'news' clowns are the WORST!!!) His town seems to be taken over by various news crews.
Things are looking very sad indeed. "Grave" as they report it.
True.
At day 5, Still no contact from any of the 29 men. Still unsafe to enter themine. Hopes remain, but more evidence is coming together to support what Coastie said days ago..Due to the circumstances involved in this mine ( the force of the explosion, toxic air levels, Fires underground,....) things are very different to the mine in Chile. Certainly a different outcome is expected.
Not good.
Today it seems, they may enter the mine, ( at long last!!) and everyone can get some answers. As you can imagine, All hell here for the family and friends of those involved, Very hard on the whole Greymouth area, now, and for a long time.
Lets hope that are some survivors there, and that the renoun Kiwi Spirit can pull them through.
Todays events will give us all some better idea.

 

[coastie99]

Re: 29 Miners trapped near Coastie

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/pike-ri ... wn-in-mine

 

[capnjuan]

Re: 29 Miners trapped near Coastie

Hope for the best ... plan for the worst. Just last April in the US ...

 

[southernGuild]

Re: 29 Miners trapped near Coastie

Today, the worst happened. Another explosion within the mine ended all hope for the 29 men. Folks here, as there in Greymouth NZ, just devestated. One of the dead was just 17 years old. His first day on the job. Too much to take in right now............Just a bloody Tragedy.

 

[coastie99]

Re: 29 Miners trapped near Coastie

Today, the worst happened. Another explosion within the mine ended all hope for the 29 men. Folks here, as there in Greymouth NZ, just devestated. One of the dead was just 17 years old. His first day on the job. Too much to take in right now............Just a bloody Tragedy.

The poor little bugger was supposed to start work for the first time on Monday, but beseeched mine management to let him go down the mine on Saturday, the day of the explosion.

One miner finished work on an earlier shift and went back to do some overtime. One turned up an hour late for work, and wasn't allowed to start, and another young guy simply didn't turn up for his shift.

Now for the recriminations to start.

 

[krysh]

dang. life sometimes is too hard.

 

[MAM]

Had been keeping my ears to the ground...About 1 AM local time it came over the radio.

My sincerest sympathy for your fellow countrymen.

 

[Thunderface]

My heart aches for the miners and their families.