Up to 36 miners missing after New Zealand blast

As many as 36 miners are missing after an explosion at a New Zealand coal mine in a remote area of the country's South Island. Details are vague as to how the blast occurred. Grey District mayor Tony Kokshoorn told Radio New Zealand that police, rescue helicopters and ambulances were rushing to the scene.

Reuters

Police said there were reports of an explosion at the Pike River coal mine, on the South Island's rugged west coast, at about 4.30pm, or 3.30 universal time.

Pike River Coal's Wellington office said they were still working out what had happened.

"All our senior management are involved in trying to find out what's happened and when we know what's happened we'll be able to release a statement and update," a company official told AFP.

"We're just keeping our fingers crossed but it's not good," he said.

The TV3 channel quoted company officials as saying there was no communication with those still underground.

Pike River's website says that the mine began production last year and has a 2.4-kilometre access tunnel running beneath the Paparoa mountain range to reach the coal seam, which took 10 years to build.

It is one of only a handful of underground coal mines in New Zealand, which also has some 22 opencast mines and produces about five million tonnes of coal a year.

Fairfax Media's stuff.com website said the mine had been plagued by delays before production commenced last year, including an air ventilation shaft collapse.