Year later, New Zealand mine still holds 29 bodies
22 replies, posted
[QUOTE]WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — As New Zealanders mark the anniversary of a coal mine explosion that killed 29 men, the victims are right where they were one year ago Saturday: entombed in a methane-filled chamber that officials say is still too dangerous to enter.Some families say they are unable to finish grieving because the men's bodies have not been recovered from the Pike River mine near Greymouth, and they are frustrated that more has not been done to try to reach them.Bernie Monk, whose 23-year-old son Michael died in the 2010 disaster, said Saturday that each family is dealing with their emotions in a different way."Some have moved on to different places. Some are recovering, and some are, tragically, still caught up in it," Monk said in a telephone interview. "Some have not even held memorial services as they are continuing to wait until they can get their loved ones out of the mine."At least 2,500 people, including New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, attended a public memorial service Saturday in Greymouth's Rugby Park, culminating in a minute's silence at 3:44 p.m., the time the methane-fueled explosion occurred one year earlier. The victims included 24 New Zealanders, two Scots, two Australians and one South African.After attending a private memorial service, Monk said about 180 family members laid wreaths at the entrance to the mine and that one family also unveiled a memorial in Greymouth. It features 29 stones from the Pike River, one for each man who died.Authorities say there is still too much explosive gas in the mine for crews to enter and recover the bodies.But Monk said he and the other families believe the New Zealand government and Pike River bankruptcy lawyers seem more focused on selling the mine than on recovering the bodies.One person who wasn't attending Saturday's public service is Peter Whittall, the former chief executive of Pike River Coal. He was charged last week with 12 criminal counts in the explosion. He's accused of knowing about or participating in the failures of the company he ran, and for failing to ensure that his employees came to no harm.Whittall says he's innocent and is being made a scapegoat. He issued a statement through his lawyers saying that he didn't want to attract attention by attending the memorial, and that would be marking the occasion privately.The government continues to investigate the disaster. Experts have testified that the mine didn't have adequate escape routes or ventilation. Pike River Coal has also been accused of cutting corners due to financial pressure.[/QUOTE]
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RIP
Holy fuck that's so awful. Those poor families.
As a NZ resident, it is honestly disgusting how slowly the NZ government is (or isn't) making progress on this. If I remember correctly, the first half of 2011 was the public complaining about how fucking incompetent they were.
And yet National is still up in the polls.
Fuck John Key and his dickhead smile.
[QUOTE=Maloof?;33340415]And yet National is still up in the polls.
Fuck John Key and his dickhead smile.[/QUOTE]
Yeah but at least you dont have Julia.
They can't send in any form of search and rescue?
I know it's a risky decision, but that's part of the job.
I bought the mine,now i just wan't to get rid of it after i accidently dug to the CENTER OF EARTH,soccer moms have AC-130's!
[QUOTE=AntiNazi;33340435]I bought the mine,now i just wan't to get rid of it after i accidently dug to the CENTER OF EARTH,soccer moms have AC-130's![/QUOTE]
Are you high? [img]http://www.facepunch.com/fp/emoot/raise.gif[/img]
Well, take the readings of methane levels in the mine. Only then can people really believe if the mine is still safe to let search and rescue teams to enter.
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;33340444]Are you high? [img]http://www.facepunch.com/fp/emoot/raise.gif[/img][/QUOTE]
its his bad attempt at humour
[QUOTE=Alien_23;33340510]Well, take the readings of methane levels in the mine. Only then can people really believe if the mine is still safe to let search and rescue teams to enter.[/QUOTE]
Hazard suits? Though maybe they don't feel the cost and risk is worth it just to retrieve a couple dozen bodies.
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;33340570]Hazard suits? Though maybe they don't feel the cost and risk is worth it just to retrieve a couple dozen bodies.[/QUOTE]
True, but those people were once fathers, brothers and sons of someone else. The family members still are quite upset and rightfully so, because unlike other tragedies where the body is irrecoverable or gone theirs are still there. So unless the mine somehow clears up, doubt that anyone can get in there safely.
After a year, wouldn't only a bunch of bones with a few strings of flesh remain down there ? Hell, it's underground, earthworms probably already ate the whole thing up to now.
I think they should invest the money in creating a small memorial rather than digging up the bodies, but it's just my opinion.
It's more practical to make a memorial on top than it is to risk lives going down for some dust and bones.
it's the same story with bodies littering the ascent on mount everest.
why risk lives to save a person that is already dead?
[QUOTE=Ganerumo;33340737]After a year, wouldn't only a bunch of bones with a few strings of flesh remain down there ? Hell, it's underground, earthworms probably already ate the whole thing up to now.
I think they should invest the money in creating a small memorial rather than digging up the bodies, but it's just my opinion.[/QUOTE]
Actually, considering the dangerous amount of methane down there, I doubt anything would have been able to live long enough to decompose them. They're probably well preserved for that reason.
[QUOTE=PrusseluskenV2;33340725]NBC-suits don't magically make methane into air.[/QUOTE]
No, but the higher level suits may be fed fresh air via an oxygen tank or a hose connected to an external pump.
They just just pump the methane out and store it or burn it.
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;33340570]Hazard suits? Though maybe they don't feel the cost and risk is worth it just to retrieve a couple dozen bodies.[/QUOTE]
It's not the toxicity they are concerned about; it's the risk of an explosion, fire, or another collapse. It may not be pleasant to admit it, but it just isn't worth risking further lives to retrieve bodies. This isn't a case of corporate greed or government incompetency, it's a matter of practicality and safety.
"Lets risk more [I]living humans[/I] for decomposed corpses!"
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;33340432]They can't send in any form of search and rescue?
I know it's a risky decision, but that's part of the job.[/QUOTE]
One of the first things you lean in any field of rescue is risk vs reward. Aka risk a little to save a little, risk a lot to save a lot.
What the general public doesn't seam to realize is that emergency services workers have families to go home to, it is not their job to die saving people. How would the families of the miners feel if someone was killed trying to recover dead bodies?
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;33340570]Hazard suits? Though maybe they don't feel the cost and risk is worth it just to retrieve a couple dozen bodies.[/QUOTE]
Methane has a tendency to go boom. And those twenty nine men could easily grow to be more if that were to happen.
"Oh its just methane, no harm retrieve a couple bodies in a collapsed mine!"
*Rescue worker hits a rock with his boot, creates spark and causes methane gases to ignite killing the entire rescue team*
Family complains the government took too much of a risk after complaining they were not taking enough of a risk.
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