GAG unit 'ready to go' - Knowles

Mines rescue crew working on the GAG machine. Photo / Pool, The Press

Rescue services hope a jet engine brought in to make the Pike River mine safe will be in use tonight.

Superintendent Gary Knowles, who heads the recovery operation, said today that the GAG unit was in place and preparation had gone very well.

The unit was tested last night and was ready to go, he said.

The aim of using the machine is to make the mine safe to allow teams to enter and try to recover the bodies of 29 miners trapped inside.

Mr Knowles said once the unit was running it would be in use for a number of hours, initially to put out the fire burning in the mine.

Then gases such as nitrogen would be pumped into the mine to try to lower the temperature inside.

Once the fire was put out the mine's ventilation shaft would be capped, Mr Knowles said.

Mr Knowles said the recovery process would take a matter of days, not hours.

He said recovery efforts at the mine would continue through tomorrow afternoon, when a remembrance service is held for the 29 miners.

"We are not walking away. We will keep doing what we are doing," Mr Knowles said.

"All the emergency services would like to be at the remembrance service but we also want to make sure we focus on the rescue."

He understood the mine rescue personnel would be at the service "to be with their brothers".