New Zealand Mine Disaster...

[A Mum]

This is just becoming sader and sader as time goes by

Now they say they may 'never' get in there

Seeing the 'blast' recorded at the mine 'door' camera really brought it home to me just how 'real' and horrible this blast was-
From 2km underground - to be that ferocious on door exit. Horrid.

Looking at the faces and reading about their lives in this article. Sad.
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/pike-ri ... 5960128577

Thinking of them and their families at this time

[JK]

Well sad ma, a truly sad story

[Strawb]

Very true and sad story thoughts and prayers to the families of the miners
More information from
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/pike-ri ... ine-report

[JK]

A second explosion now and expert advice has no survivors

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/pregnant- ... 5957667679

Such a tragedy

[A Mum]

What an emotional roller coaster for those families.

[mighty_tiger_79]

since the Beaconsfield disaster in Tassie

Have there been more Mine disasters since that happened or are we now more aware of it because of what happened at Beaconsfield??

[magpie in the 80's]

since the Beaconsfield disaster in Tassie

Have there been more Mine disasters since that happened or are we now more aware of it because of what happened at Beaconsfield??

Only last week 29 people were pulled to safety from a coal mine in China. 22 miners and 7 rescue workers who became part of the disaster when they got caught out while trying to rescue the miners. Obviously the Chilean miners recently and earlier this year the West Virginian disaster that lost 25 with 4 still missing.

For numbers here is a quote about China's mine disaster's of last year

According to official figures, 2,631 coal miners died in 1,616 mine accidents last year, down by 18 percent and 17 percent respectively year on year, due to the firmer grip on coal mining safety in recent years. . However independent labour groups say the true figure is likely to be much higher as many accidents are believed to be covered up.

Also there has been many other mine disasters worldwide since Beaconsfield in 2006

[Mr66]

This is the 21st century and I still can't believe we send humans down into the
earth to dig holes.

[Dog_ger]

A very sad day.

We all go to work to feed our loved ones and pay the bills.

Workplace safety must look into this?

[overloaded]

RIP

[JAS]

With 2 of the guys being Scottish this has obviously been headlining here from the start.

Horribly tragic...might sound awful but my hope now is that they actually died instantly in the first blast and didn't have to suffer until today.

I also think the sooner some reporters realise that every mining accident is different and that the Chilean style rescue will probably remain almost a unique event the better.

Regards
JAS

[overloaded]

With 2 of the guys being Scottish this has obviously been headlining here from the start.

Horribly tragic...might sound awful but my hope now is that they actually died instantly in the first blast and didn't have to suffer until today.

I also think the sooner some reporters realise that every mining accident is different and that the Chilean style rescue will probably remain almost a unique event the better.

Regards
JAS

I agree the press were hoping for a miracle.

[bayman]

very sad & i dare say there will be families quite rightly asking questions in the aftermath of this, lets just hope the casulties didn't suffer, mind you i think they may already have died given the fact of these gasses were reported to be underground etc


seems to be a lot of mine disaters in recent history, are they 'digging' too far down, are they not respecting the safety process ??


RIP all the people that have died from this horrific catastrophe

[Media Park]

RIP

[Hondo]

I heard when they drilled to the area where the miners were trapped the gas levels were way above survival limits. Is this right? I don't feel they could have survived the first blast but we'll never know. Maybe they eventually can work it out for the sake of the families who will understandably be angry about why no rescue attempt was made. It's easier to rationalise without the emotional attachment but they couldn't risk losing 49 lives instead of 29 and this second blast seems to vindicate their caution. It's like all those poor firemen who died in 9-11 trying to save people.

29 lives lost in an accident is so very sad. I feel for all the families and the local community who have lost so many locals.

[Thiele]

My thoughts go to the familes. RIP the 29 miners

[Dirko]

Not good at all. Hopefully they can retrieve the bodies and give closure.

Not a good week in the Asian Pacific regions.

New Zealand mine 29 presumed dead, 60 people die in building collapse in Delhi, 378 dead in Cambodia after the stampede & North Korea going off their rockers.....

[7-Dog]

RIP

[Squawk]

Not good at all. Hopefully they can retrieve the bodies and give closure.

Not a good week in the Asian Pacific regions.

New Zealand mine 29 presumed dead, 60 people die in building collapse in Delhi, 378 dead in Cambodia after the stampede & North Korea going off their rockers.....

Correct weight. It's a real tragedy, the NZ mine disaster.

Don't forget that the South Island has been rockin and rollin with earthquakes and aftershocks for a number of months too.

The North Korea incident is a bigger issue though - with no disrespect intended to the miners whatsoever.

I watch world events pretty closely and I'm always staggered to observe what might be described as the "Media's meter of relativity". By that, I mean what they choose to chase and what they choose to ignore. For example, an estimated 350 people died in the heatwave in Victoria and around 100+ here in SA. About 170 died in the Vic Bushfires that coincided (timing wise) with the bushfires there. All attention goes to the outcomes of the bushfire, yet the southern heatwave killed far more people?

Bottom line is "shock and awe", "imagery" and "angles" - spruced up with an eyewitness account, a hero's tale or a victim's account (ie an 'emotional' ingredient) ultimately determines the reading on the 'media meter of relativity'.

And just to conclude - on our household meter of relativity, the NZ disaster was certainly a bigger discussion item than North Korea....the two aren't easy to compare and probably shouldn't be compared, but they both trouble me in their own ways.