Drilling on a new borehole into the Pike River coal mine is in its final stages, with 20m of the 162m tunnel to go.

An Aussie mine expert recalls when rescuers were within metres of 12 trapped miners, only to be recalled due to "off the chart" gas readings.

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.

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.

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.

A relative of war hero Willie Apiata made a desperate run yesterday to get help for a teenage boy after a car accident.

A father watched helplessly from a boat as his son disappeared under water after briefly surfacing during a diving trip and calling for help.