Rescue workers, who have one of their own trapped in the Pike River coal mine, hope a hole being drilled in the mine tonight will reveal air samples allowing them to enter the mine.

A 24-year-old man has been arrested over the death of an elderly Wanganui woman in a hit-and-run yesterday.

It's been revealed a member of the mine rescue team is among those trapped. Officials say gas levels inside the mine are falling, but unstable.

The Pike River mine blast has made global headlines, with two Britons, two Australians and a South African are among the 29 missing.

Praying for a miracle, hundreds attended church services in Greymouth on Sunday morning.

There is a growing sense of despair among the families of the 29 miners who have been trapped at Pike River since Friday.

While residents gather and families worry, hospital staff and funeral directors prepare themselves for all scenarios.

International mining experts have raised concerns about safety issues at Pike River Coal which may have led to the explosion.

A second night passes with no word from the 29 trapped miners in the Pike River mine. Families cling to hope as experts fear the worst.

There will be no attempt to rescue 29 miners trapped in a West Coast mine tonight, with no further air quality sampling until tomorrow.

An Australian mine expert says there is no urgent need to reach the trapped miners "at this point in time", backing the Pike River rescue approach.

With luck, the country will receive news that the brave 29 are back above ground and telling tall tales over a beer.

Police say a bid to rescue or recover 29 miners trapped in a West Coast coal mine is on hold, and could begin at any time over the next two days.

Mining companies around the world face a constant struggle to avoid accumulations of methane gas and coal dust underground.

Since its announcement in 2005, the Herald has tracked the progress of the Pike River coal mine.

The two men who managed to get out of the Pike River mine clambered up a narrow chimney to escape.

29 miners remain trapped underground after yesterday's blast at Pike River Coal's West Coat mine.