Pike River Mine work stops temporarily as families, Recovery Agency enter talks

July 15, 2021
Recovery workers have reached the foam seal near the end of the 2.3km tunnel.

Underground work at the Pike River Mine has been stopped temporarily, with the Recovery Agency and victims' families in negotiations. 

Work to seal the Pike River Mine 170m up the mine drift ceased last Friday when family members of the victims picketed the site, stopping access to the mine by Pike River Recovery Agency staff.

Twenty-nine miners were killed in a series of explosions at the mine, on the West Coast, on November 19, 2010.

The majority of victims families want to continue the search into the mine as far as the main fan, which they believe may hold critical forensic evidence and be the sources of the first explosion.    

Bernie Monk, who lost his son Michael in the disaster says family representatives will be meeting with the Recovery agency later today.

Monk, the spokesman for the deceased miners’ families say the “families have right to do this”.

Monk says they’ll be discussing the possibility of putting cameras down gas lines into the mine where they believe the lost miners may be. 

They also want to see pictures they believe have been taken of the coal fall which is blocking the mine at the end of the recovered drift.  

The Pike River Recovery Agency Chief Executive Dave Gawn confirmed that mine workers were at the mine site yesterday to undertake compliance and maintenance work. 

He says no work is being conducted underground on the 170m or 30m seals, nor is any machinery or equipment being removed from site. 

He says negotiations with family members are ongoing.

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