Pike River Mine disaster

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The Pike River Mine disaster was a coal mining accident that occurred on 19 November 2010 in the Pike River Mine, 46 km (29 mi) northeast of Greymouth, in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island. It began with a methane explosion at approximately 3:44 pm (NZDT, UTC+13). The accident resulted in the deaths of 29 miners. At the time of the explosion, 31 miners and contractors were below ground. 16 miners and 13 contractors were believed to be located at least 1.5 km (1,600 yd) from the mine's entrance, while two miners managed to walk from the mine and were treated for moderate injuries. Subsequent explosions on 24, 26 and 28 November ended hopes of any further survivors and raised serious doubt that any bodies would ever be recovered. In December 2012, Prime Minister John Key said he would apologise in person to the families of those killed for the Government's weak regulations and inadequate inspection regime. In 2017, the Government established the Pike River Recovery Agency...

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