Pike River re-entry delayed
Re-entry to the Pike River mine has been delayed so that a high oxygen reading from within the mine can be understood.
Remembering the Pike River miners
Pike River mine evidence went missing
It has been alleged that a potentially vital piece of evidence in the Pike River mine fatality that may show the cause of the explosion may have gone missing.
Pike River; Victory For the Families, Victory for Us
Pike River mine is to be re-entered and finally the truth will be told. Victory for the 29 is victory for all of us.
Labour accelerates action on Pike River re-entry
National is trying to spin that Labour has adopted its position on re-entry of the Pike River mine. But the Pike River families are having nothing of this.
New Pike River footage
Tonight Newshub had new footage from deep inside Pike River mine. It showed no fire damage.
Government misled families about Pike River
TV3 has released video confirming that the atmosphere in the Pike River Mine was inert and raising major doubts about the claim that the mine was too unsafe to extract the bodies or to investigate the causes.
Andrew Little: Promises to Pike families must be kept
Yesterday marked the sixth anniversary of the Pike River disaster. Here is a statement released by Andrew Little urging that the mine not be sealed and the deaths of the miners be investigated and their bodies brought home.
NRT: Betrayal at Pike River
I/S at No Right Turn on the Pike River decision.
Pike River anniversary
Two years ago, on this day, the Pike River tragedy began. Twenty nine miners lost their lives, may they rest in peace. Their families are living with the aftermath. A private gathering for around 150 family members is in progress at the Pike River memorial garden in Atarau. A minute’s silence is being observed at the time of the first explosion, 3:44pm.
Only there for the photo-ops
John Key won’t be on the West Coast today when the Pike River report will be released. He’ll have a tightly managed press conference at the Beehive, instead. Key promised that he would stand by the Pike River families. He promised that all efforts would be put in to get the bodies out, no matter the cost. It was all hollow talk from a hollow man.
In memoriam
It’s a year since the explosion at Pike River killed 29 men. Just people like you and me doing their job. It seems some semblance of justice may be delivered to those who let this disaster happen. But the lasting legacy must be a change of culture and regulations to put people’s lives before companies’ profits. So no more suffer the fate of the Pike River 29.
So, it is about cost?
You would think that, to reassure the families and satisfy critics, the government would have released detailed technical analysis showing why re-entering Pike River will never be possible. Instead, we got vague, contradictory statements only after the media pressed Key for answers. Now, a mining expert has confirmed the mine’s atmosphere is stable and can be made breathable cheaply.
A failure of leadership over Pike River
Like smiling and waving, frowning and looking sombre, is easy. But satisfying the expectations you create can be hard. This is where Key consistently fails. He has failed again over Pike River. The sudden and inadequately explained end to the recovery operation is bad enough. Lying about the promises he made is gravely insulting.
The dead and the living
As a government and as a country we honoured the Pike River dead, as was right and proper. But now the hard part starts. What are we going to do for the Pike River survivors? The families who lost loved ones. The fellow workers who have now lost their livelihood.
McCarten on Pike River
This piece by Matt McCarten has already generated some discussion on Open Mike. Here are extracts, or click through for the full article. Matt pulls no punches…
2 minutes silence at 2pm
PM John Key has called for two minutes of national silence today at 2pm, to remember the 29 miners who lost their lives at Pike River.
3:44pm one minute silence
Pike River chief executive Peter Whittall has called on the country to mark one week since the West Coast mine exploded with a moment’s silence at 3.44pm today, in remembrance of the 29 men who died
A sad day
It’s an incredibly sad day for NZ. Today the country mourns for the 29 miners who have lost their lives after a second explosion at the Pike River mine. Our thoughts are now with the families, the communities, and the people of the Coast. The Standard will keep its half mast headlined all day today. Anyone wishing to donate to help the families of the miners, the details are here.