Pike River blast: Praying for a miracle

Candles are lit by the congregation at the Holy Trinity church in Greymouth this morning. Photo / Greymouth Star

Praying for a miracle, hundreds attended church services in Greymouth on Sunday morning.

Candles were lit by the congregation at the Holy Trinity church.

"We are praying for a miracle, but we are all aware it might not come."

About 80 people gathered at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Greymouth this morning to hear these words from Archdeacon Robin Kingston, who said it was realistic now to start preparing for the worst, while remaining hopeful for the best.

"I really hope that there'll be a miracle and they'll be rescued. He prayed for the men running the rescue operation, the trapped miners' families, as well as that the mine would not close, because it was such an important part of the Coast's economy.

"As time went on his job was to prepare people for the worst, he said. The service ended as two bus-loads of families of the trapped miners returned to Greymouth after visiting the coal mine this morning.

- Greymouth Star