Robot could make mine more dangerous - Pike River

Pike River chairman John Dow says there has been no slackening in safety standards at the mine. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Sending a robot into the West Coast mine where 29 men are trapped could make the situation more dangerous, says Pike River Coal chairman John Dow.

Half-hourly monitoring of gases in the mine continued overnight but the wait to rescue the men continues since an explosion in the Pike River Coal mine on Friday.

"The dilemma we have is that you can't operate in a gaseous environment like that with equipment that might be generating a spark and robots would be like that," Mr Dow told Radio New Zealand.

He said it was clear there had been a fire in the mine.

"Obviously carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are products of the burning of coal and measurements of those gases have been elevated.

"So there has been some sort of burning. What the mines rescue folk are doing now are measuring those levels amongst other things to see whether or not it might have just been a temporary fire that's now out or whether or not there could be still something smouldering," he said.

Rescuers could not enter the mine until gas readings showed consistently safe levels of gas.

Mr Dow said the miners' families were "distraught" and frustrated the rescue team had not entered the mine yet.

The company was focusing on keeping the families informed.

"We hold out hope that the men have found a safe pocket in the mine, that they're sheltering there and waiting for us to get to them but obviously with every passing day that becomes a longer shot possibility."

The company would support a public inquiry, he said.

"I mean, we'd be calling for it as loud as anybody. We need to know what happened obviously but right at the moment the first priority is on rescuing our men and reassuring our men's families..."

There are six five-men rescue teams available, comprising mainly local people, supported by Huntly mine rescuers.

A seven-man team from New South Wales is also waiting in Christchurch if needed, and two Australian mines rescue officials are helping with planning.

The names of the men have not been officially released but are expected to be today, depending on the agreement of families.

Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee said the families had a right to their natural privacy.

"This is an awful situation for them to be in... It will be their choice in the end as to just when those names will be released," he said.

Two men escaped following the explosion and were treated in hospital before being released on Saturday.

Drilling of the new 15cm (six inch) shaft on a steep hillside above the mine started yesterday and went through the night. It was reported to be about halfway down the 150 metres estimated depth to reach an area of the tunnel closer to where the trapped miners might be.

Tasman District police area commander Superintendent Gary Knowles told reporters yesterday there was no "quick fix".

"We have no idea how long this will take but we are still focused on bringing these guys out," he said.

"This still remains a rescue operation.

"We're still looking at going underground where possible to bring these guys out and we are still dependent ... on a reduction on the levels of gases in those chambers.

"I'm not prepared ... to have people go underground until we're 100 per cent sure it's safe."

- NZPA