Miner who avoided Pike River blast faces anxious wait
He avoided yesterday's Pike River blast by minutes - now a miner waits for news of trapped workmates.
He avoided yesterday's Pike River blast by minutes - now a miner waits for news of trapped workmates.
Mining companies around the world face a constant struggle to avoid accumulations of methane gas and coal dust underground.
Rescue crews will face a number of challenges as they work towards accessing the area where 29 coal miners are believed to be trapped.
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.
Concerns over air quality are delaying the start of a rescue attempt to find 27 men trapped after an explosion at a West Coast mine this afternoon.
A rescue team preparing to search for 27 men trapped inside a collapsed West Coast mine are still assessing the safety of conditions inside the mine.
Methane gas has long been identified as a potential problem for the Pike River Coal mine, as rescuers scramble to find up to 27 missing miners.
Send your messages of support to the families and friends of the trapped West Coast miners.
There's about 1 trillion tonnes of easy-access coal available.
Cracks are beginning to emerge in the Chilean miners' planned unity over media arrangements.