Bodies found 11 years after New Zealand coal mine explosion | Globalism

The 2010 Pike River Coal Mine disaster was one of the most serious in the country and prompted several attempts to recover the bodies, as well as a criminal investigation.

Officials believe the disaster was caused by an explosion following a buildup of methane. Only two of the 31 miners who were in the mine survived the tragedy.

The mine was closed and its entrance blocked for years for security reasons. Investigators only gained access to the site in 2019.

The entrance to the Pike River coal mine, where 29 miners died after a methane explosion, about 50 km from Greymouth, New Zealand, is pictured on November 21, 2010. Eleven years later, police announced on November 17, 2021 that the remains of at least two victims had been found. . Photo: Simon Baker/Paul, AFP

Identification and redemption

Rescue efforts were halted after several tunnels collapsed, but by digging, experts were able to obtain images of the deeper parts of the mine.

In this way, the police say, they were able to notice two bodies – and possibly a third.

But the minister in charge of the rescue, Andrew Little, said it was “unlikely” that the bodies would be recovered. “I know some families would like to go further, but it’s not possible.”

“While we have not been able to identify the remains, we are working with forensic experts to see what we can do to confirm their identities,” Detective Peter Reed said.