Fourth blast rocks New Zealand’s Pike River mine

GREYMOUTH - A fourth explosion has rocked the Pike River Coal mine in Greymouth, New Zealand, but no one was injured.

According to the New Zealand Herald, people working near the mine’s entrance to the mine were moved from the area for their safety.

The paper quoted Superintendent Dave Cliff as saying that the latest explosion indicated the volatility of the environment surrounding the mine.

“Our focus continues to be on the safety of those people working at the mine site and the recovery team. We are doing all we can to progress the recovery operation, however the explosion reinforces the risks involved in working in this environment and the requirement to put people’s safety first,” Cliff added.

The first blast took place in the Pike River mine at 3:44pm on the earlier week (Friday), and the second one rocked New Zealand on Wednesday in which the 29 miners who went missing since the first explosion were believed to be dead. But the death toll was confirmed only after the third blast on Friday.

After the third explosion, Police Minister Judith Collins had said that Pike River Coal would fully co-operate with all inquiries.

A national memorial service would reportedly be held on Thursday (December 2) in Greymouth, the main town on the west coast of the South Island, which overlooks the hills where the dead miners are entombed. (ANI)