Police have kept the video, which was exclusively obtained by. On a sunny afternoon in november 2010, a massive explosion rocked the underground pike river coal mine, deep in a mountain range in new zealands south island. Mr van rooyen agrees there was a blame culture at pike river. The operation to reenter new zealands pike river mine and recover the bodies of 29 miners killed in an explosion there nine years ago has begun, marking a.
Pike river mine tragedy governorgeneral of new zealand. Royal commission on the pike river coal mine tragedy volume 1. Royal commission on the pike river coal mine tragedy volume 2. Families of some of the men killed in the november 2010 explosion were in parliament this morning to hear the minister responsible for pike river reentry andrew little announce a plan to reenter the mine, as promised by the new government the plan will involve what mr little said was the simplest and safest option, of reentry using the existing single entry access tunnel. Checks who is ug tag board instructs front gate house to lock down mine. It must be the most expensive coal in the world when you add the cost of 29 lives. The project to mine coal at pike river was flawed from the start. Nov 16, 20 rebecca macfie will be discussing tragedy at pike river mine with jo malcolm at the university bookshop, 6pm, november 20.
At a meeting between police and the pike victims families following the explosion, police had downplayed the chance of a successful body recovery,he had been told not to attend the meeting, but in his opinion a. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading tragedy at pike river mine. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The uncompromising chemistry of tragedy new zealand geographic. Tragedy at pike river mine the book that will change the way we think about the pike river mine disaster was launched in greymouth last night. The late late show with james corden recommended for you. New zealand post book award, best first book, nonfiction on a sunny afternoon in november 2010, a massive explosion rocked the underground pike river coal mine, deep in a mountain range in new. Mines rescue staff prepare to enter pike river mine months after the 2010 explosion. The 29 men who died follow a long line of other people who. There was a significant spike in trading in pike river shares on the day of the blast. The witness is one of the few senior management people to come before the commission.
A reflection on the pike river disaster unity books. Eight and a half years after the pike river explosion claimed the lives of 29 men in one of the countrys worst ever workplace disasters, three men finally reentered the mines drift today. Julia roberts acts out her film career w james corden duration. I would like to express, on behalf of the european commission and in my own name, my sincere condolences to you, to the people of new zealand and to the families affected by the deadly mining accident at the pike river mine on south island. Tragedy at pike river mine ebook by rebecca macfie. A methane explosion occurred in the mine at approximately 3. A drama based on the true story of the 2010 pike river mine explosion, revealing the staggering corporate arrogance and greed that led to the collapse as well as the struggling community of miners that came together in the wake of the tragedy. Former ceo peter whittall pleads not guilty to 12 health and safetyrelated charges, and a trial date is set for. The twentynine men deeper in the mine are believed to have died immediately, or shortly afterwards.
Pike river mine families still battling for access to mens remains six years on, 1news, 19 november 2016. In his time at pike he saw quite a few managers come and go. Pike river coal says it will not fight the 10 charges it faces. Pike river mine was tiny and only produced 60,000 tonnes of coal in its entire life. When the first shipment of pike river coal left for india early last year the company was under pressure.
Given peter whittalls position of ceo, ex operations manager at the mine and his expert knowledge of the mine itself why did he initially remain in wellington and did not travel to the mine to assist in rescue operations. The longawaited reentry into new zealands pike river mine to retrieve the bodies of 29 miners killed in an explosion nine years ago has been suspended for safety reasons, less than 24 hours. Royal commission on the pike river coal mine tragedy report. Update about pike river mine and agency office pike river team steps through 170m barrier date published.
All i can say is nick smith must think the general public are thick. Rebecca macfie, tragedy at pike river mine, awa press, wellington, 20. This article marks the fifth anniversary of the explosion at the pike river mine. Each name on the list of the pike river miners carries a. On november 19, 2010, around a quarter to four in the afternoon, something caused a spark deep inside the pike river mine, northeast of greymouth. The former mines rescue worker who has been further into the pike river mine than anyone else since the fatal explosion is finally speaking out, saying his biggest regret is that he didnt walk. Tragedy at pike river mine, rebecca macfie shop online for. The reentry is expected to begin in february next year. John drinnan, new zealand herald if youve already read accolades for this book, theyre all deserved, and then some. Suzanne clark needs your help with petition to bring home the 29 minerscontractors from the pike river mine.
All but two workers inside new zealands pike river mine were killed in a series of methane explosions in november 2010, including australians william joynson, 49, and joshua ufer, 25. Royal commission on the pike river coal mine tragedy te komihana a te karauna mo te parekura ana waro o te awa o pike 3 preface the explosion at the pike river mine on 19 november 2010 brought home to new zealanders once again the risks of underground coal mining. The women of pike river on the 19th november 2010, 29 men were killed in the pike river mine explosion. Rebecca macfies powerful book is essential reading for all minerals professionals.
Winner new zealand post book award best first book nonfiction. How and why 29 men died reprint by rebecca macfie isbn. This documentary tells a story of courage and determination of the mothers, sisters and wives left behind. The mine has a development and consenting history going back to the 1970s, with the first geologists and surveyors having explored the area in the 1940s. Royal commission on the pike river coal mine tragedy. Petition to bring home the 29 minerscontractors from the. A pike river survivor says politicians need to put aside arguments about leaked video from the mine and just get the 29 bodies out. Video from inside pike river shows a robot that appears to emit smoke or steam when it overheats, but theres no fire or even a flame. Rebecca macfie will be discussing tragedy at pike river mine with jo malcolm at the university bookshop, 6pm, november 20. A brilliant and extremely well written expose of a shocking chain of events that led to the deaths of 29 men in the pike river mine, west coast, new zealand.
Dave and dinghy further explain the exemption application. In this handout provided by the stand with pike families reference group, the pike river mine entrance is shown during reopening on may 21, 2019 in. Frequently asked questions prra pike river recovery agency. Tragedy at pike river mine is a dramatic, superbly researched and pageturning account of a disaster that should never have happened, of the dramatic political and legal fallout, and the effect on the small west coast community. The mine is located approximately halfway between greymouth and reefton, close to the pike stream, a tributary of the big river in a region that already has a long history of coal and goldmining activity. Royal commission on the pike river coal mine tragedy te komihana a te karauna mo te parekura ana waro o te awa o pike 1 letter of transmittal royal commission on the pike river coal mine tragedy te komihana a te karauna mo te parekura ana waro o te awa o pike to his excellency, lieutenantgeneral the right honourable sir jerry mateparae gnzm, qso. A detailed explanation of the pike river mine reentry. Nov 24, 2010 m iners fear methane the gas that exploded in new zealands pike ri ver coal mine more than any other element of nature they struggle against underground. Shares in the company had been rapidly taken up by investors, swept away by predictions of extraordinary. Tragedy at pike river mine is a dramatic, suspenseful account of a disaster that shook the nationand the world. Tragedy at pike river mine is a dramatic, suspenseful account of a disaster that shook the nation and the world. The hearing has already been told the company was short of money, and production was behind schedule. Reentry to pike river mine in the nz to recover the bodies of 29 miners, who perished in a mine explosion in november 2010, is likely to occur before christmas some family members say.
It is located about 50km northeast of greymouth in the west coast region of south island. May 05, 2017 prepared by uk coal mining experts, dr david creedy and robert stevenson, the report a method for safe reentry of pike river mine drift, has been used to make the case for reentry into the. Pike river coal ltd was a mining company listed on the new zealand and australian stock exchanges. Sensual clouds form a seal around roof tops like mile after mile of undisturbed snow. Nov 05, 2012 the explosion at the pike river mine on 19 november 2010 brought home to new zealanders once again the risks of underground coal mining. An explosion ripped through the remote pike river mine on the west coast of the south island, killing 29 men. Under a section entitled, health, safety and wellbeing, the pike river.
There are reports of an explosion at the pike river coal mine. Pike river minister andrew little announced the governments intentions to enter pike river mine in november. At the time of the explosion 31 miners and contractors were present in the mine. Docudrama about the pike river mine and the series of events that led up to the explosion in the mine on 19th november 2010 and the death of 29 miners and contractors. The pike river recovery agency is working remotely during the covid19 lockdown, with the mine under care and maintenance only. Twentynine men lost their lives, and their bodies have not been recovered. An independent analysis of the pike river mine tragegy. Each name on the list of the pike river miners carries a world of heartbreak for. All text is licensed under the creative commons attribution noncommercial 3. Five years after the pike river mine disaster by tom peters 27 november 2015 november 19 marked five years since an explosion ripped through the underground pike river coal mine on.
Pike river is the latest major new zealand mining disaster. Tragedy at pike river mine, rebecca macfie shop online. To treat the pike river mine site as suddenly exempt from the very piece of law it engendered is not just utterly mindblowing. With bruce allpress, jack barry, nick bellbooth, roy billing. On 22 november 2010, trading in the companys shares and options was suspended from the new. Meanwhile new zealand has seen a big rise in workplace fatalities. Tragedy at pike river mine draws on many sources to form a definitive account of the series of events that led to 29 entirely preventable deaths.
The pike river mine disaster was a coal mining accident that began on 19 november 2010 in the pike river mine, 46 kilometres 29 mi northeast of greymouth, in the west coast region of new zealands south island. Evidence pike river mine workers felt pressured to meet targets was heard at the royal commission in greymouth on 21 november 2011. Search we are currently preparing our site to be ready for the government mandated move to alert level 3 and will continue to dispatch essential items. On a sunny afternoon in november 2010, in the beautiful paparoa range of the south island, a massive explosion rocked an underground coal mine. It had been touted by the company and by government ministers as a showcase of modern mining. Russell smith was one of only two survivors of the 2010 tragedy. Newshub has released footage that shows two men and a robot apparently inside the drift of the pike river mine three months after the final explosion prime minister bill english told morning report the footage did not change the assessment of the mines safety, and would not alter his decision to not reenter the mine however, he had some questions about why the footage did not go before. Twentynine men underground died immediately from the blast, or shortly afterwards because of the toxic atmosphere this generated. Gerry brownlee, pike chief executive gordon ward, chair john dow and general manager peter whittall at the opening of the pike river mine 38. Macfies extensive research includes the findings of the royal commission established by the new zealand government to investigate the tragedy, the legal proceedings that followed the tragedy.
T hrough a careful dissection of the story behind the november 2010 pike river tragedy, this book highlights valuable lessons that are relevant to all of us tragedy at pike river mine draws on many sources to form a definitive account of the series of events that led to 29 entirely preventable deaths. The mine is owned by pike river coal, the only listed coal mining and export company in new zealand. What happened at pike river pike river mine disaster. I dont usually repost my own posts and, in fact, this is the first repost ive ever done.
Pike river mine reentry examined australian mining. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the families of these 29 brave men. Pike river mine mining technology mining news and views. Where this morning we held on to hope, we must now make way for sorrow. Its primary operation was the pike river mine, the site of a mining disaster with 29 deaths on 19 november 2010 the company first listed and began trading on the new zealand exchange on 20 july 2007. The investigation makes compelling reading, and illustrates the power of journalism in book form. The mine is located approximately halfway between greymouth and reefton, close to the pike stream, a tributary of the big river in a region that already has a long history of coal and goldmining activi. Eight truckloads of equipment components of the nitrogen generating systems were. Pike river mine location map nzhistory, new zealand history. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Now available new print edition with completely updated timeline to 2018. Pike river mine is the second largest hard coking coal export mine in new zealand.
This is a free event presented by the press christchurch writers. Pike river mine location map nzhistory, new zealand. The pike river underground coal mine is located high in the rugged paparoa range, on the west coast of the south island. This song is dedicated to the memory of 29 good men. The 29 men who died follow a long line of other people who have perished in new. An observers account of the pike river coal mine explosion that killed 29 miners on new zealands south islandquestions what the miner deaths mean for. Photogetty images your book makes it clear that the mines ventilation system was never up to the task. Pike river mine explosion christchurch city libraries. A son beginning his shift as his miner dad clocked off. How and why 29 men died kindle edition by macfie, rebecca.
1036 695 1583 836 1266 1208 828 922 1364 597 663 1308 1348 683 739 838 830 1374 228 245 705 133 875 607 570 983 535 1126 767 642 193 1142 744 171 681 103