Prime Minister John Key arrives in Greymouth just before noon today, to talk to grieving families. Photo / Mark Mitchell
5.01pm
Thanks for following our live updates today - check back tomorrow for the latest developments.
4.11pm
Chairman John Dow says the future of Pike River Coal will be discussed when its board meets tomorrow.
He said it was not the time to discuss the business implications of the disaster, but they did need to keep the company running.
3.53pm
Pike River coal mine chief Peter Whittall expressed his regret today at how he initially delivered the news yesterday to the families of the 29 miners lost in the disaster.
The families had shown excitement at the latest reports on the prospect of a rescue mission as Mr Whittall gave them a preliminary update, only to then reveal the 2.37pm explosion left next to no chance of survivors.
"Yesterday one of the hardest things about that meeting with the family was the fact that we had mobilised the rescue team on to the next level of standby ... we were quite hopeful that we could get some men into the mine...on the slim chance that there might be someone still left alive," Mr Whittall said.
"If I could go back and re-think my opening address to them I would do it a thousand times (better)."
3.41pm
A memorial service for the 29 Pike River miners will be held on December 2.
It will take place at the Omoto Racecourse near Greymouth at 2pm.
Archdeacon Robin Kingston is anticipating a minimum of 5000 people attending.
He says the Prime Minister will attend the service, as will a number of dignitaries from New Zealand and overseas.
3.25pm
The Invercargill City Council has opened a condolence book for the families of the men who perished in the Pike River Mine.
Mayor Tim Shadbolt said he wants to pass on to the Grey District Council and the people of the district that they are in the thoughts and prayers of the people of Invercargill and Southland.
The condolence book is in the foyer of the Civic Administration building, Esk Street.
And still in the South, the Lakeside Presbyterian Church in Te Anau has a memorial book.
3.08pm
Closer to home, political parties are getting their chance to express their grief in Parliament this afternoon.
Labour's Annette King says all too often we hear of tragedies overseas and we pause and get on with our lives.
Mrs King says this tragedy brings it all home.
While five of the miners were from overseas, she said they now lie alongside their Kiwi workmates and will forever be New Zealanders.
Meanwhile, a national memorial service is being planned and is expected to be held in Christchurch.
Auckland Mayor Len Brown says he will represent Auckland and condolence books have been set up at the Auckland Town Hall and in libraries across the region.
3.00pm
The Australian federal parliament has paused to remember the 29 miners, including two Queenslanders, killed in the Pike River coal mine blast.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard moved a condolence motion - expressing deepest sympathy to the families of the victims and the whole of New Zealand - in parliament's lower house today.
Ms Gillard said she would visit the New Zealand High Commission in Canberra, along with Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, later today to sign a condolence book and formally record the nation's sympathy. (AAP)
2.48pm
There was only a "slim chance" that any of the miners were alive before the second explosion, Pike River CEO Peter Whittall said.
He said they are looking at options such as pumping nitrogen or water vapour into the mine to reduce oxygen and make it safe.
Mr Whittall said while the future of the mine was unclear, if operations did begin again, he was confident there would be miners willing to go back in - as would he.
It was not uncommon for mines to return to business, even after explosions had taken place.
2.20pm
Pike River coal mine has given half a million dollars to start a fund for the families of the 29 killed at that West Coast mine.
That contribution would be matched by major shareholder New Zealand Oil and Gas and other companies that work with Pike River have already pledged to support the fund.
It would be a trust and would be used to pay for support and other services, Pike River chairman John Dow said.
Four trustees would be appointed, one nominated by Pike River, one nominated by the mayor, one with disaster relief experience and another nominated by families. (NZPA)
2.12pm
ASB bank has announced the details of its emergency assistance package for the families who have been impacted by the Pike River mine tragedy.
In addition to opening an account for donations to the families, local branches are making overdrafts available to Greymouth residents at reduced interest rates and will grant loan holidays on request.
Acting CEO Ian Park says the bank has been talking to local Greymouth community leaders during the week to determine how it can best provide ongoing relief and support.
2.10pm
An Australian-owned robot will be part of the effort to recover the bodies of 29 men from Pike River coal mine.
West Coast police superintendant Gary Knowles says the robot is robust and able to travel deep into the mine. It has a range of 6km and is owned by the Perth base of state-owned company Water Corporation.
Two New Zealand defence force robots were in the mine when it was hit by a second explosion yesterday, but they were not responsible for sparking the explosion, said Mr Knowles.
2.05pm
Pike River CEO Peter Whittall says the conditions underground are much the same as they have been for the past five days.
"It would appear the gas hole we have been monitoring has not changed much, despite the explosion yesterday", he said.
"That means we still have a large reservoir of gas. That means the situation yesterday could happen again, today, tomorrow or the next day."
1.45pm
Prime Minister John Key told reporters that he welcomed Australia's offer of assistance in both the recovery operation and any investigation into the Pike River mine disaster.
He said that although we compete fiercely with Australians on the sports field, when it comes to working together in times of crisis, the bonds between the Trans-Tasman neighbours are strong.
1.41pm
The State of Queensland will send two teams to New Zealand's Pike River Mine to help the recovery effort.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said 15 experienced staff from the Queensland Mine Rescue Service would travel to the mine near Greymouth.
She said the staff - two rescue crews, a manager, a co-ordinator and a counsellor - would help extinguish the underground fire at the mine.
Senior mine managers and government inspectors are also on standby to help relieve New Zealand experts if needed.
Joshua Adam Ufer, 25, of Townsville, and William John Joynson, 49, from Maryborough in southern Queensland, are among the presumed dead. (AAP)
1.20pm
Levels of dangerous gases at the Pike River mine are still high and rescuers are unable to enter to recover the bodies of 29 trapped men, police said this afternoon.
Tasman district police commander Gary Knowles told media gathered in Greymouth today that the environment inside the mine needed to be stabilised.
Mr Knowles stood by rescuers' decision not to enter the mine after the first blast on Friday. He said yesterday's second, more intense, explosion showed the risk involved in sending teams in.
12.55pm
The Australian and English cricket teams have just observed a minute's silence for the fallen Pike River miners, before the start of the first Ashes Test in Brisbane.
12.40pm
Prime Minister John Key says it could take "months" to recover the remains of 29 workers who died underground at Pike River mine.
"That (recovery) has to occur in a way that is safe to those that would undertake that mission," Mr Key told reporters as he arrived in Greymouth.
He said previous international experience had shown the operation could take "quite some months".
12.20pm
A service in memory of those who died in the Pike River mining disaster, and in support of the grieving community, will be held at Christ Church Cathedral, Nelson at 6pm on Saturday.
The Cathedral is open each day for those who wish to come to be quiet and pray and a Condolence Book is in place.
12.17pm
On
, more than 90,000 people are vowing to light a candle for the miners between 9-9.30pm tonight.
12.15pm
We're already over 1000 messages of condolence at nzherald's
.
11.55am
Solid Energy has suspended its underground operations at Spring Creek Mine, near Greymouth and Huntly East Mine, in the Waikato, as a mark of respect for the 29 Pike River miners and their families.
Solid Energy Chief Executive Officer, Dr Don Elder, says that everyone at Solid Energy has been devastated by this tragedy. "We extend our deepest sympathy and support for the miners' families and for all our colleagues and communities on the West Coast."
Spring Creek and Huntly East Mines are planning to resume operations tomorrow morning. The offices of both operations will remain open as a place for staff to gather with colleagues.
11.43am
Prime Minister John Key has arrived in Greymouth and is planning to meet with the families of some of the 29 lost miners about midday.
He told media that he would be working with the local mayor on a memorial service to be held soon in Greymouth.
A national memorial service is likely to be held in early December in Christchurch but this is still to be confirmed.
On Monday, Cabinet will consider the terms of reference for a Commission of Inquiry.
Mr Key said he was not ruling out having an Australian mine specialist sitting on the three-person commission, which will also have a judge, and will have "wide-ranging powers" to subpoena people and gather all the information required.
11.40am
The Coastguard (Southern Region) have extended their sympathy to the families of the 29 miners lost in the Pike River Mine, "especially that of
, a member of Coastguard West Coast".
11.30am
Parliament has suspended business today as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives in the Pike River coal mine tragedy.
The only item on the order paper is a Government notice of motion on the explosions to allow MPs to pay their respects.
11.10am
The Australian union that represents coal miners - the CFMEU - is
to its New Zealand equivalent, the EPMU, in the wake of the tragic deaths of 29 mineworkers at Pike River.
10.52am
We're told that users of all three mobile networks - Telecom, Vodafone and 2Degrees - can text 306 to 306 to make an automatic $3 donation.
10.45am
Wellington Cathedral of St Paul will toll a bell continuously for 10 minutes at noon today.
10.40am
The
website tracks how donations are flowing in to the Grey District mayoral fund.
10.30am
The US State Department have issued the followed statement from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton:
"On behalf of the people of the United States, I offer heartfelt condolences to the families of the miners who died in the Pike River Mine explosion, and all those affected by this tragedy.
New Zealand has lost 29 brave and hard-working men who will be mourned around the world.
Earlier this month I visited New Zealand and I saw the famous Kiwi strength and spirit for myself.
You have come through adversity before, and I know you will do so again. Today, our thoughts and prayers are with you."
10.15am
New Zealand Cricket says players will wear black armbands in Plunket Shield matches today.
Today's play starts at 10.30 and the Auckland Aces, Northern Knights, Central Stags, Wellington Firebirds, Canterbury Wizards and Otago Volts will have a minute's silence at the start of play.
10.10am
EPMU National Secretary Andrew Little said this morning that the union would be sitting down in the next few weeks with the Pike River mine management to discuss the future of the mine.
Mining was still the "lifeblood" of the West Coast but some judgement calls would need to be made about what happened next.
The union has set up a fund for the families of the miners that will help them cope financially with the likes of education costs for the children.
"The families need to know that they have got a bit of security going into the future."
9.55am
A story about methane gas - "The miners' worst fear" - on
. He recalls the tragedy in Gresford, near Wrexham, Wales 76 years ago which inspired
.
9.43am
Pike River Coal has placed a message on the opening page of its
.
9.38am
A condolence book for the Pike River miners will be in the main foyer outside the Grand Hall of Parliament from 10am today.
9.35am
Blogger David Farrar has
to many of the key players involved - including the media - in the Pike River mine disaster.
9.24am
Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron has said that everything is being done to support the families of two Scots, Peter Rodger and Malcolm Campbell who died in the blast.
And in a statement, Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said he had written to John Key expressing the "deep condolences" of the Scottish people to the families of the men killed.
"Although Scotland no longer has deep mining facilities, mining communities all over the country share a deep affinity with those who risk their lives to secure vital energy supplies.
"This tragedy has a deep resonance with the people of Scotland and we extend our deepest sympathies to all affected."
9.20am
The Queen has already sent her condolences, and this morning a message has come from Prince Charles:
"Both my wife and I and so many others in this country have been deeply concerned about the horror of the situation at the Pike River mine in the last several days and I can only too well imagine the utter despair and misery that the poor families must have been going through during this most anxious of periods.
"And then to hear about the recent explosion in the mine was truly awful and I obviously just wanted to make sure, along with so many others in this country, that people in New Zealand understood just how deeply so many of us feel here in Britain about what they are all having to go through.
"Clearly, apart from anything else, our hearts go out to them; nothing but deepest possible sympathy and it sounds always so inadequate in terms of being able to provide any sort of comfort.
"But as I say; so many people mind deeply about what the New Zealand people and the families are having to go through and we just want them to know that we are with them at this terrible time of anguish."
9.17am
The NZ stock exchange has issued a statement saying that market opening will be delayed this morning as "a mark of respect for the victims and victim's families in this tragic event."
Both the NZSX and the NZAX markets will open five minutes later at 10.05am.
Trading in shares of the Pike River Coal company has been suspended since the explosion on Friday.
9.13am
Pike River management will today ask families if it can pump gas into the mine where 29 miners are presumed dead.
The chairman of Pike River Coal John Dow has confirmed rescuers are looking at pumping carbon dioxide in, which would stabilise the volatile gasses - but the gases are also deadly to humans.
Mr Dow says it is important to speak with all families and get permission before a decision is made.
"Making the mine safe so that we can go in and bring our boys out is the absolute first priority," he told RadioLIVE this morning.
9.10am
Kevin Hague, Green Party MP, hopes the Government's Commission of Inquiry will cover safety measures extending beyond Pike River.
The Green Party hopes there will be a broad look at mining safety.
Cabinet will discuss setting up a Commission of Inquiry next week.
Green MP Kevin Hague wants the inquiry to make sure that everything that could have been done to ensure the mine was safe was done. He wants to see widespread public terms of reference in the inquiry, which cover more than the Pike River mine. (TRN)
9.00am
Bus driver Tony Nicholl was one of the last people to see the Pike River miners.
Mr Nicholl was in tears on Radio New Zealand this morning as he described getting to know the miners who he transported to the mine from Greymouth to on a daily basis.
He said the atmosphere on the bus when he drove the miners to the mine on that fateful day was "jovial".
He said after hearing of the blast he did not believe he would see the men again.
8.52am
From
on Twitter: "Thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the Pike River Mine victims... from all the All Blacks here in Cardiff".
The All Blacks will wear white armbands and will honour the Pike River miners with a minute's silence before Sunday's test against Wales.
8.50am
Donations and offers of help are flooding in for the grieving communities of the West Coast.
A Pike River Relief Fund Trust has been established for the families of the 29 men who died in Pike River coal mine.
Donations are being taken at any Westpac branch and can also be sent to the Grey District Council, PO Box 382, Greymouth 7840.
The Salvation Army has established a drop-in centre to give support and assistance. Captain Charles Prattley says is welcoming donations of non-perishable foods.
Funds are being set up across the country to take donations for families of the coalminers.
You can make a donation at any branch of the ANZ or the National Bank.
To get the fund off to a start, ANZ has put in $100,000.
8.20am
Prime Minister John Key told Radio New Zealand's
Morning Report
that it was important he went to Greymouth today.
"I want to go and talk to the families and give them as much support as I possibly can."
Mr Key said he also wanted to thank all of the people involved in the rescue operation who had "worked tirelessly from the moment that the first explosion took place".
He said the Pike River operation had been challenging because from the first blast rescue conditions were never possible.
"It was just the reality of the situation that a mine in this condition is a highly volatile environment."
He said the Commission of Inquiry as well as inquiries by the police, Chief Coroner and Ministry of Labour would establish what went wrong.
"We need to learn what went wrong, why and what can be done in future to ensure we don't have a repeat of Pike River," he said.
Mr Key said long after media attention had shifted elsewhere those affected by the disaster would be left mourning.
"They will be left with this gaping void which is that their loved ones are no longer with them."
8.00am
American scientist Deborah Blum has
about the phenomenon of 'afterdamp' - the leakage of methane and other combustible gases that occurs in coal mining. Plenty of information in her essay.
For example, to appreciate the dangers coal miners put themselves into daily, she says: "All the world's worst mining disasters have been stories of methane and coal dust explosions: In France, in 1907, 1,099 dead; in Japan, in 1914, 687 dead; China, in 1942, 1549 dead; in South Africa in 1960, 437 dead.
In the year 2010, so far, six fatal mine explosions (including New Zealand) have occurred world-wide, killing nearly 250 people."
7.54am
Assistant Commissioner Grant Nicholls told Radio New Zealand that hundreds of police had been involved in the Pike River operation, with officers called in from all over the country to work on the operation.
Mr Nicholls said police had also been liaising with colleagues in the United States and Australia.
He said the first step now would be to make the mine as safe as possible so the miners' bodies could be recovered.
"We'll be discussing the recovery phase with a variety of experts."
And Mr Nicholls said Tasman police district commander Gary Knowles was a "very experienced and competent officer" who had been absolutely committed to bringing the miners home.
"I think that the operation has been run particularly well. Every available opportunity that could be taken was taken."
7.48am
The BBC has a story,
What went wrong at Pike River mine?
, written by Andrew Watson, Operations manager of Britain's Mines Rescue safety training service.
He starts out by clarifying the enormous difference between this event in Greymouth and the recent
.
7.35am
Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn told Radio NZ everyone would help those affected by the tragedy.
"The focus is just solidarity now. All coming together as Coasters," he said.
"People find just that extra little bit, they take a deep breath, they will raise the bar... They will rally, coasters will come home and we will make it as easy as we can for the families," he said.
"These people won't have closure - they won't feel good - until they are holding their loved ones again."
7.25am
Pike River chairman John Dow told Radio New Zealand this morning the company would be meeting later today with the families of the miners to see what help they needed.
He pledged full co-operation with any inquiries, saying the truth needed to be established.
"After we've helped the families... then the next priority is to make the mine safe as soon as we can and that's so that we can go in and recover the bodies and bring our boys home."
He said he would not be drawn into speculation over whether the mine would enter operation again.
7.04am
The Queen has sent her condolences to the victims of the Pike River mine tragedy.
In a
statement posted on her website
, the Queen says she is "deeply saddened" by news there is no hope for the trapped miners.
"My heart goes out to the families and friends of these 29 brave miners and to all who have been touched by this national disaster.
"I send my thanks and deep appreciation to everyone who has worked so hard to attempt a rescue and also to those who will have a part to play in the task of healing the pain that is being felt throughout New Zealand and around the world.
"At this sad and difficult time my thoughts and prayers are with you all."
7.03am
Green MP Kevin Hague wants the Commission of Inquiry into the Pike River mine tragedy to make sure that everything that could have been done to ensure the mine was safe was done.
He wants to see widespread public terms of reference in the inquiry, which cover more than the Pike River mine.
Mr Hague says it is no secret his party opposed the Pike River mine but he says the party's priority now is around supporting the families who have been affected by the deaths.
7.00am
Good morning and welcome to today's Updates.
A trauma expert says the families of the miners who lost their lives in the Pike River coal mine disaster will need practical help.
Prof Beverley Raphael from Western Sydney University says bureaucratic help was important after the London bombings and the Victoria bushfires but practical assistance is often what victims need.
She believes people should not be pressured to accept counselling as people should not have to talk about what has happened if they don't want to.
View Pike River coal mine in a larger map
- NZHERALD STAFF, NZPA AND NEWSTALK ZB
The video purportedly shows him scaling down from the eighth floor.