Still hope for recovery of bodies

The jet engine arrives at Hokitika Airport. Photo / NZPA

Families of the 29 men who died in the Pike River mine continue to be frustrated that the recovery of the bodies is still not underway.

A massive fire, with flames shooting through a mine shaft, continues to burn in the mine.

Among the grim news the families were told this evening was that the gag jet engine designed to stop the fire and allow recovery teams in to retrieve the bodies would now not be activated until tomorrow morning, despite being at the scene today.

Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn said there was "total silence" from the families when they were given the latest update.

"They're totally subdued and they're desperate now," he told 3News.

"How long do they have to wait to get their loved ones out of there?"

The entrance to the mine has been sealed, ready for the gag to begin work tomorrow, Mr Kokshoorn said.

The families were shown "graphic footage" of flames leaping from the mine's shaft, with bolts sheared off.

"So there's some tremendous forces in that mine. You just wouldn't wish it on anyone."

Despite the fire, the families had been told there was still hope of getting the men's bodies out of the mine, he said.

"If they can put the GAG in place, they've got the nitrogen they need to put the fire out, they've got the gas here - the air force brought it in - it's all in place, they just need to set it up and get it moving," Mr Kokshoorn said.

Authorities say reports of a fifth blast at the mine today were incorrect.

Tasman Police District Communications Manager Barbara Dunn said there was no mention of a fifth explosion at this afternoon's family meeting, nor had police been told of any such incident.

Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn had earlier suggested there had been a fifth explosion.

Pike River chairman John Dow also had no knowledge of a fifth blast.

GAG machine to operate for days

Mr Healey said he was confident the GAG machine, a Polish jet engine which injects inert gas into the mine, would put out the fire, although it would take a "number of days" for the gas to fill the mine.

"The GAG will extinguish the coal fire but there is a question of whether it can control it afterwards," Mr Healey said.

He said it was possible the fire could reignite and it is likely the mine will have to be sealed temporarily.

The jet engine pumps non-volatile gases into the mine to displace the oxygen which keeps fires burning.

Yesterday, rescue staff said the mine may have to be temporarily sealed after a fourth, powerful explosion sent large amounts of smoke and flames spewing from underground.

"There is quite a large amount of smoke coming out of the mine. This smoke has changed, it's no longer a gas fire, it's obviously now a coal fire," chief executive Peter Whittall said.

Sealing lets the fire consume the oxygen rather than take it away.

Mr Whittall said the explosions may have damaged the roof of roadways in the mine and "rubbish" coal may have dropped down so there would be a lot of fuel in the mine.

Mr Whittall said he thought yesterday's explosion, at 1.55pm, would have been stronger than the previous three.

Unlike the previous ones, it went up the mine shaft "quite violently", rather than out the entrance tunnel.

It was the fourth explosion in the mine since a blast on November 19 trapped 29 men. The second, on Wednesday dashed any hopes that they might be found alive.

Mr Whittall would not comment on the attempts by a robot to enter the mine, its likely state or how the bodies of the 29 men would be recovered.

Families had taken the news of a fourth explosion quietly, he said.

People were exhausted from the first stage of their grief and wanted to know when their loved ones might be brought out.

"People have come from overseas, they've come from Canada, they've come from Great Britain, from Queensland, from Northern Ireland - how long do they have to wait in Greymouth to find out what's going on?"

The company would meet them every day and update them, he said.

Asked about the likelihood of people being charged over the tragedy, Mr Whittall said: "Well, that's an inevitable possibility of any investigation into any event.

"I've worked in this mining industry all my career, I understand that when incidents occur investigations occur. When the investigation [finds] someone's done something wrong then there should be consequences to that."

GAG JET ENGINE

* Weight 700kg, length 12m. Total weight including support equipment is 6.8 tonnes.

* Carried by truck and takes about three hours to assemble.

* Capable of producing 7m3 per second of gas. At that rate it could take one to two days to fill the Pike River mine.

* Works by pumping gas (nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water vapour) with very low concentrations of oxygen that will not sustain a fire in a mine. This starves the fire of the oxygen it needs to burn and eventually smothers it.

* First used in 1999 to extinguish a large fire which had been running for 54 years in Blair Athol mine, Queensland.

* The jet engine is one of two units bought for use in Queensland mines for $1.6 million.