A robot sent into the Pike River coal mine has found a miner's hat with the light still on. Footage taken underground will be shown to families at 4pm.

If you haven't got time to read all our in-depth coverage of the Pike River Mine disaster, here's a quick summary of five key things you need to know today.

Families at this morning's Pike River briefing were unhappy they were not shown blast footage until yesterday, a miner's father says.

"The families are frustrated, we are frustrated, the country is frustrated," John Key said after four days of waiting for a rescue effort.

If you haven't got time to read all our in-depth coverage of the Pike River Mine disaster, here's a quick summary of five key things you need to know today.

The day before he went down the mine for the first time, Joseph Dunbar turned 17.

Rescuers plan to send a Defence Force robot into the Pike River coal mine where 29 miners remain trapped after an explosion on Friday, one gas levels drop.

nzherald.co.nz profiles the men trapped in the Pike River coal mine on the West Coast.

If you haven't got time to read all our in-depth coverage of the Pike River Mine disaster, here's a quick summary of five key things you need to know today.

The families of the trapped miners are holding onto hope that their loved ones will emerge alive.

Police have officially named the 29 miners trapped in the Pike River coal mine on the West Coast since Friday.

Testing of gas levels in the Pike River mine continued overnight, but the mine is still deemed too dangerous for a rescue attempt to be mounted.

Rescuers are on standby to enter the Pike River coal mine to bring out their brothers, and will go in at the slightest opportunity.

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

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

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.

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

The Herald's energy reporter, who has visited Pike River, reflects on the project's delays, and now disaster.

Cabinet ministers were last night travelling to the Pike River Mine, as the Government offered assistance in the rescue of the trapped miners.