Pike River blast: Locals in limbo

Relatives of the Pike River miners leave a meeting after being briefed by mine management. Photo / NZPA

It has now been more than 24 hours since an explosion at the Pike River mine on the West Coast trapped 29 miners below ground.

Under dark skies all day, West Coasters went about their business - hoping for the best but painfully aware of the grim record of tragedies in mining.

Relatives of the trapped miners talked in knots and hugged as they waited for news - any news.

Greymouth Mayor Tony Kokshoorn said his community was "grief-stricken" and rescue teams would move now if only they could.

"The families out there that are affected are all rallying together at the moment, we're doing everything we can for them but it's a serious situation down there."

Before rescuers are allowed into the mine the land needs to be stabilised and the air needs to be breathable.

"They'd go in now if they could, but there is a procedure to it."

Two workers yesterday afternoon walked out with relatively minor injuries and confirmed that an explosion had taken place.

Those men, Russell Smith, 50, and Daniel Rockhouse, 24, were working alone and were both discharged from Grey Base Hospital today.

Many of the miners who have not yet returned were regular customers at Mac's Store in Runanga.

Owner Garry McMillan said the mood of customers was sober.

"It's pretty much quiet, sombre, but very optimistic. We are holding onto hope. What a disaster."

A girlfriend of one of the miners rang him at 1am asking for a bottle of Coke because she could not sleep, he said.

The tight-knit nature of Greymouth and its surrounding towns meant everyone knew at least one person who was "still down there".

Mr McMillan was just 12 when the Strongman mine explosion killed 19 men in 1967 and said the Pike River explosion brought back many memories.

"It's all sickening. You get a sick feeling in your gut when something like this happens. I especially do thinking that people who are my customers are down there."

And as the West Coast holds its collective breath in hope for the 29 missing men, the local league community is thinking of Blair Sims and his family.

Mr Sims - who is married with two children - plays for Suburbs Rugby League Club and also represents the West Coast and South Island at a representative level.

Suburbs and West Coast coach Phil Campbell has known Sims since he was a teenager

"He's been a major part of our club side," he said. "He's a very good rugby league player."

This year Mr Sims played four games - at centre and wing - for the newly established South Island side against teams from the North Island.

"He performed well, the South Island coach told me so," Mr Campbell said. "He was a player who was more than comfortable at that level.

"We just hope that he can pull out of this."

Meanwhile, several local groups are pulling together to offer assistance to those affected.

Staff and students in the kitchens at Tai Poutini Polytechnic have fired up the ovens to cook for families waiting near the mine site and those at the Red Cross centre.

Polytechnic chief executive Paul Wilson said one or two of the polytechnic members had family still in the mine.

"Pike also has 12 members on their staff who just finished underground training - we don't know if they're underground or not."

Mr Kokshoorn said the community was pulling together and had had messages of support from across the world.

"It is one of those things we know it can happen, it hasn't happened for over 40 years... when we lost 19 miners. But we are hanging on to hope till someone tells us otherwise."

- with the Greymouth Star