NEW ZEALAND police warned yesterday the outlook was “bleak” for 29 miners missing four days after a blast, as video footage revealed chilling images of a powerful underground explosion.

New Zealand’s prime minister warned his nation to prepare for the worst today as 29 coal miners remained trapped and unreachable five days after a massive underground blast.

New Zealand’s prime minister said today hope was fading for 29 coal miners missing for four days underground after an explosion.

Anguished relatives of 29 workers missing after an explosion at New Zealand coal mine grew frustrated over delays in the rescue operation today, as officials prepared to drill a small hole through hundreds of feet of rock to test for levels of deadly gases.

Anguished relatives voiced frustration as poisonous gases prevented rescuers from entering a New Zealand coal mine today, a day after a powerful blast left 29 workers missing underground.

Rescuers were waiting for gas levels and the risk of a second explosion to drop today so they can enter New Zealand’s biggest underground coal mine to search for 29 men still missing more than 24 hours after a powerful blast tore through the tunnel.

Around 30 workers were unaccounted for after an explosion ripped through a coal mine in New Zealand today, police and media reports said.