Police have released the name of a man killed when a mine collapsed underground at Ohai, Southland, yesterday.
He was Robert Adrian Kingi-Potiki, 28, of Riverton in Southland.
Mr Kingi-Totiki's body was found before 4.30pm and recovered shortly before midnight.
He had been working with a group of other miners at Solid Energy
New Zealand Ltd's Wairaki underground mine at Ohai, 43km northwest of Winton.
The incident occurred just after midday when part of the mine at the coal face collapsed during a rock fall. The rest of the mining team managed to escape, but Mr Kingi-Totiki was trapped and killed.
He was in one of two crews working on a routine ravine in the mine.
Mr Kingi-Totiki had been working at the mine for some time, Solid Energy chief executive officer Don Elder said yesterday.
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Otago service manager James Hamilton said it was the second mining fatality in the Otago-Southland region.
A mining inspector was at the scene to establish the cause of the accident.
OSH, police and Solid Energy were conducting investigations into the accident.
The Ohai mine has been operating since 1981. It produces between 150,000 and 175,000 tonnes a year.
The coal lies in seams 100m to 300m below the surface and about 100m below sea level.
Main customers of the mine are in the dairy and meat processing industries.
- NZPA
