‘Bleak’ outlook for trapped New Zealand miners

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.

Frustrated relatives of the missing, who were shown the video before its release, expressed anger at stalled rescue efforts as a robot sent into the mine broke down, and an exploratory bore-hole was slowed by hard rock.

But New Zealand police commissioner Howard Broad said there were still high levels of explosive and poisonous gases in the mine, making it impossible to send in rescue teams.

“As this situation continues, the situation for those below ground is bleak and gets bleaker by the hour,” he warned.

Police superintendent Gary Knowles, who is coordinating search efforts, also revealed rescuers were preparing for the worst in a marked shift in tone.

“We are planning for all options and if one of the options means that those guys that are underground are not alive, we are planning for that,” he said.

The miners — 24 New Zealanders, two Britons, two Australians and a South African — have not been heard from since the explosion tore through the remote South Island colliery on Friday.

The security video released by the Pike River Coal company showed stone dust being blasted for 52 seconds out of the shaft’s entrance — some 2.5km from the explosion and where the missing men were located.

But Pike River chief executive Peter Whittall said the force of the explosion was no reason to believe the trapped men were not alive. “Two men walked out after that so I don’t believe it’s material,” he said.