Pike River body recovery by 2015: review

18 May 2012 12:36p.m.

pete wrote:

Poor Phil..can anyone really be that confused. Blasts and Heat? Yes there were blasts and heat but here is the reality. We the families have seen the video, photo, and calscan evidence from inside the mine..we have seen the damage and rockfall, but we have also seen vast areas of the mine with bo or little damage, the paper bags and wooden items unburned and in some cases unmoved. If the damage is as severe as Phil, PM, Brownlee and Broad suggested to the public of NZ to justify walking away why is it that WE see intact bodies lying in the mine..why when Dan Rockhouse was 700 metres from the main area, he didnt feel any heat. Why did Broad and Brownlee tell the nation that the bodies were dust and the mine was highly explosive when in fact it had been inert for several weeks and when this was pointed out, backtracked. Why is it so many highly qualified Pike execs were able to design engineer and develop a mine in harsh country, against all advise, install electronics underground (never been done) against all advice, fail to provide a second exit, fail to provide a fresh air refuge, install inadequate methane drainage, fail to act on incidents underground that were hazardous, but were unable to detect any problem with the mine, and two mines inspectors charged with the task of making sure the company were following the right procedures were also unable to detect any faults..not even one. So to the Phils of this country..yes it is an expensive task to recover these men, but they have the right to a decent burial given that they were victims of systemic failures on the part of the company and the Dept of Labour. Was this crisis handled well? thats the debate but whether these guys should be treated with respect..certainly they should. I mass grave is ok if its not possible to recover the men but NOT while Solid Energy continue to mine coal around them..Thats just macabre

29 Jan 2012 10:02p.m.

Kiwi wrote:

@ Sue - even in war you give your enemy a decent burial! This isnt war besides - its 29 men who went to work in good faith to earn a living for their loved ones and had the right to expect the workplace to be safe! Trust you enjoyed your Christmas sue - supposedly a Christian time - personally I believe leaving those guys to rot inside that place while most people in NZ enjoyed Christmas with their loved ones is the most unchristian, immoral and disgusting thing I have ever heard of in the history of this country! Its a National (excuse the pun) disgrace and makes me ashamed to be a Kiwi!

29 Jan 2012 06:21p.m.

sue wrote:

ok its time the families of pike river stopped blaming anyone and everyone . people have a right to get on with there lives as you should be doing . many soldiers families have to have funerals for our boys who have beem blasted by bombs and we do not have bodies to bury. Come on its getting out of hand when people cant move forward why is it insensitive for them to look forward . Im really sick of media and families who just don't wont to move on. We all lose people everyday but you don't see us keeping it alive . Move on but remember them privately don't make your relitives death an ongoing publicity stunt for goodness sake have some decency

28 Jan 2012 08:38p.m.

Suspicious wrote:

Come on TV3 there's obviously a story here - are you trying to protect the government or what? This Mark Cummins guy obviously has something to offer - how about following this up!

28 Jan 2012 02:17p.m.

kitch wrote:

Shame on the Dept of Labour and their inspectorate for letting this happen in the first place, so much for health and safety in the work place.

28 Jan 2012 12:02p.m.

Phil wrote:

There won't be any bodies to recover; the blasts and heat will have seen to that. Ashes mixed with debris will be all.

28 Jan 2012 10:37a.m.

Suspicious wrote:

Was Mark Cummins - the successful US Coal Mine firefighting expert who has continually claimed through this blog that he can assist NZ Mines Rescue recover these bodies safely - ever been consulted by any NZ authority of the person that conducted this independent report? - If not why not?