Pike River CEO Peter Whittall sees deadly mine explosion

Pike River chief executive Peter Whittall was watching CCTV footage when he saw something which will forever change his life and those of hundreds of others -- a second explosion in the Pike River mine, this one not survivable.
Mr Whittall was watching in an effort to understand why gas levels were not falling in the West Coast mine to a level low enough to allow rescuers to get in and rescue 29 men trapped since an explosion last Friday.
What he saw was an explosion much bigger than last week's and which, he knew, was not survivable.
``This probably takes it up to a point where I'm unlikely to see workmates again, I'm unlikely to see them walk out of that mine,'' an emotional Mr Whittall, supported by his family, told a press conference.
``This is going to be very difficult on the families. This is devastating news for them. I don't know what we'll do next at this stage.''
But Mr Whittall was at pains to point out that the caution exercised while planning a rescue had undoubtedly saved the lives of many more men.
``I've spoken to the rescue teams who are were all on site and on standby. I've told them how proud I was of them.
``I told them that I understood, and that most of the world understood, why they couldn't go underground.
``It was vindicated today, when those men's lives were saved because they did the right thing.
``They analysed and went through the risk protocols, and all the people who said they should have just gone in anyway have just been shown why they shouldn't have gone in.
``The men underground I'm sure would have understood that.''
Mr Whittall had given many of those who died their jobs, and had worked alongside some of them, so it was fitting that he gave their families today's devastating news.
``It was hard obviously,'' the former miner said.
``But it was my task and I wanted to tell the families.
``They've looked to me for hope and they've looked to me for keeping them informed and to let them know what's going on, which I've tried to do as factually and clearly as I could right the way through.''
The families had hoped the rescuers would be starting to look at going underground today, and many had continually asked why they hadn't already gone in given the air in the tunnel was clear.
``The same answer has been given over and over -- because it's dangerous, it's hazardous and because the rescue teams would be putting their lives gravely at risk and while we were there and while they were making that assessment, exactly what they said would happen happened.''
Mr Whittall was adamant nothing being done at the mine in an effort to mount a rescue -- such as air monitoring -- had caused today's explosion.
It was a natural progression of the first explosion and could have happened at any time, he said.
``All of the other things that people were saying we should try possibly could have but I'm absolutely confident that the measures that were taken up there by the rescue teams and by all the men on site were absolutely correct and absolutely right and, to the best of my knowledge, absolutely nothing that was being done up there has caused this.''
Mr Whittall's family embraced him when the press conference concluded and the officials and media gathered clapped him out of the room -- something very rarely seen.