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New Zealand miners situation ’bleak’

24 November 2010 03:48 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Police in New Zealand are not optimistic about the fate of dozens of miners trapped underground for more than four days following an explosion, APA reports quoting Press TV.

On Friday, a blast triggered by a methane gas leakage hit Pike River colliery, a remote mine on the South Island’s West Coast, trapping 29 miners underground.

Rescue workers are trying to drill a hole down into the mine to contact the men -- an operation deemed risky due to the explosive mix of gasses inside.

"The situation is bleak and gets bleaker by the hour, by the day," AFP quoted New Zealand police commissioner Howard Broad as saying on Tuesday.

Fears are growing for the safety of the miners since the blast has cut power and obstructed ventilation shafts.

Police are refusing to allow rescuers into the mine because tests showed that material burning underground has been emitting toxic gases.

The miners, who include several Britons and Australians, have lost contact with authorities since Friday.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key had earlier said bringing the trapped miners out of the mine would remain his top priority.

Angry relatives have expressed frustration at the stalled rescue operation now in its fifth day.

On October 13, miners trapped in a copper and gold mine in Chile for an unprecedented 69 days were safely rescued following a flawless 22-hour rescue operation.