Pike River mine blast: 'A sense of despair'

There is a growing sense of despair among families and friends of those trapped in the Pike River mine, says Grey District mayor Tony Kokshoorn. Photo / Mark Mitchell

There is a growing sense of despair among the families of the 29 trapped miners at Pike River, said Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn.

Representatives from the families have been taken to the emergency site, although it will only be a short visit.

Greymouth police spokeswoman Barbara Dunn said terrain in the area is difficult and the mine site remains volatile, she said.

"There's not going to be a vigil."

Pike River chief executive Peter Whittall said it will be explained to the families what is going on with the rescue effort.

"They'll be able to get off, walk around, have a look at the emergency services that are being set up - just have a touch and feel and...understand what's going on."

Support for families

Mr Whittall said Air New Zealand had offered employee support people to help the families, which Pike River had accepted.

"They've mobilised nearly 30 people to Greymouth and we will be allocating one support person to each of the families, so they will have a direct communication, a direct update, someone to help with the logistics and they will have direct communication with us."

Mr Kokshoorn, who is in regular contact with the families, said there was a period yesterday of "bottom-line despair" when rescue workers had to be taken off the mine site. Hopes had lifted slightly today because those teams were back at the site.

"There's no doubt about it, there is a lot of despair amongst them," he said.

"There's a sober feeling amongst them all. They are just trying to buoy themselves along and encourage each other as a community, and holding on to the vision that the search and rescue exercise will activate at any time."

Mr Kokshoorn said the families continued to hope that they could hear news of a "fantastic outcome" as the families of the 33 miners recently trapped in Chile had received.

"At the same time, these people have lived on the West Coast all their lives and they are realists. They know the degree of danger in here. They know the degree of where it could go from a negative point of view. But there's no point being that way."

Until someone told them that the men could not be brought home, the families would continue to hold on to their hopes, Mr Kokshoorn said.

Connection with loved ones

Counsellor Jacqueline Granger, who practices on the Kapiti Coast, said the families will want to be at the site to feel a connection with their loved ones.

"I think it is because spiritually they feel close to those in there," Ms Granger said. "They will also want to be there waiting for them when they get out.

"These people that are there just want to be with their loved ones and let them know they are there."

Not knowing whether their loved one were alive made it harder for the families, Ms Granger said.

"But they also know their men are well trained in what they are doing," she said.

Ms Granger said the way people deal with trauma is "very individualised".

"Some people will catastrophise, they will think the worst. Some people will use spiritual guidance to get them through it."

"They will be meeting together and talking about it - for some people this helps, some people it will not. Some people will want to be alone."

The men have been trapped underground for about 40 hours and fears for their safety are increasing.

Ms Granger said should the men come out alive, there will be vast support for them.

"New Zealand is very good at putting things in place for people with trauma," she said.

"Some people won't want counselling at this point. But maybe in the coming weeks and months they might want that.

"One of the things that is important they need to know is people are their waiting for them.

"They will be looking after each other down there. Sometimes these things bring out magnificent things in people."

Questions: EPMU

Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union general secretary Andrew Little has arrived in Greymouth to support the union members among the miners trapped at the Pike River coal mine, and their families.

Mr Little said Pike River had done a good job in keeping the miners' families informed.

No specific concerns have been raised with the union about safety practices at the mine, he said.

"Inevitably there are questions. We don't have an incident like this without there being reasons for that. Everybody needs to be reassured that the systems and procedures are all functioning and in place, and people were observing what was required of them. There will be a time when we will need to get answers for those sort of questions."

- NZHERALD STAFF