Misfortune in the Pike River mine

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The Pike River mine disaster was one of New Zealand's worst mining disasters in recent history. A firedamp explosion on November 19, 2010 killed 29 miners . After nine days the mine was closed by the police and the search for survivors abandoned.

background

The Pike River Mine is on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island, 46 kilometers northeast of Greymouth . It was operated by Pike River Coal . The mine opened in 2009 after various setbacks. The reasons for this included technical difficulties and problems with mining machines. In January 2010 the first 100,000 tons of coal were shipped to India.

Course of the accident

In November 2010 there was a series of firedamp explosions. A total of four major explosions resulted in the deaths of 29 miners.

At 3:44 p.m. on Friday, November 19, 2010, a methane gas- induced explosion occurred in the Pike River mine. At the time of the accident, an unknown number of miners had driven into the mine. Two miners were able to save themselves, they were taken to hospital with minor injuries. The rescue workers suspected between 25 and 33 workers in the mine. Only later was the exact number of 29 men established.

A second explosion took place on November 24, 2010 at 2:37 p.m. Smoke, dust and dangerous gases released by the explosion shot through a shaft where rescue workers had been working. The rescue workers were warned of the impending explosion by sounds and were able to leave the mine in good time. This explosion was so violent that, according to experts, there was no chance of survival for the workers.

A third, smaller explosion occurred at 3:39 p.m. on November 26th.

The fourth and final major explosion occurred on November 28th at 1:55 p.m. It started a mine fire . The fire was visible above the weather shaft , the headframe was damaged and the fire spread to the vegetation. This final explosion clearly complicated attempts to get the situation under control.

Rescue and recovery attempts

After the first explosion, the mine rescue service was unable to retract because of fears that the gases inside could still be explosive. It was suggested that it would be at least a few days before it would be safe. A methane content of 95% was measured in a borehole attempted to reach the trapped miners.

Therefore, bomb disposal robots were used. A robot provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Defense advanced 550 meters, then suffered a short circuit due to contact with water. A second robot was supposed to retrieve the first robot and resume the search for survivors. After the second explosion, these attempts were abandoned. Police Commissioner Gary Knowles informed the New Zealand population that from this point on, rescue workers would assume that it was no longer a rescue operation, but an attempt at salvage. When the fourth explosion occurred, the recovery of the bodies was also abandoned.

An inert gas generator of the type Gorniczy Agregat Gasniczy (GAG) was flown in from Australia, to bring the fire under control and delete. On January 14, 2011, the police closed the mine for further rescue attempts because it was considered too dangerous.

examination

Memorial plaque to the victims of the Strongman mining disaster. At the foot of the stele, memorial stones for the victims of the mining accident in the Pike River mine were placed.

The exact cause of the explosions was never found. The official investigation by the New Zealand Royal Commission indicated the ignition of an excessive amount of methane.

aftermath

As a consequence of the accident, a committee of inquiry was set up to investigate the causes of this accident. It was found that Pike River Coal was not paying enough attention to safety and health. The miners were exposed to unnecessary dangers and the company was aware that safety measures were not being properly followed.

Before the explosions, several complaints were filed against the working conditions, particularly against the high methane levels. Nonetheless, the company and management placed more emphasis on coal mining than on the safety of the workers and the working conditions in the mine.

Resumption of investigation

With the establishment of Te Kāhui Whakamana Rua Tekau mā Iwa - Pike River Recovery Agency in 2018, not only was the investigation into the accident resumed, but an attempt was also made to recover the bodies of the dead miners. As of July 2020, the project was not yet completed.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Pike River coal delayed again. In: nzherald.co.nz. NZ Herald News, August 25, 2009, accessed February 5, 2015 .
  2. ↑ Timeline. Pike River mine explosion. In: stuff.co.nz. Stuff.co.nz, November 21, 2010, accessed February 5, 2015 .
  3. ↑ Closing mine 'worst case scenario'. In: nzherald.co.nz. NZ Herald News, January 14, 2011, accessed February 5, 2015 .
  4. ↑ a b c d Volume One - What Happened at Pike River. In: pikeriver.royalcommission.govt.nz. Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy, October 30, 2012, accessed February 5, 2015 .
  5. ↑ Homepage . Te Kāhui Whakamana Rua Tekau mā Iwa - Pike River Recovery Agency , accessed July 18, 2020 .

Coordinates: 42 ° 12 ′ 22.2 ″  S , 171 ° 28 ′ 57.3 ″  E