#NEWS : All miners dead, police confirm

TVNZ

All the miners trapped at Pike River coal mine near Greymouth are dead, it has been confirmed.

Superintendent Gary Knowles said there had been a second explosion this afternoon at 2.37pm.

He said there was no chance of survivors.

"Unfortunately I have to inform the public of New Zealand that at 2.37pm today there was another massive explosion underground and based on that explosion no one survived," Knowles said.

"It is our belief that no one has survived and everyone will have perished," he said. "This is one of the most tragic things I have had to do as a police officer.

"I was at the mine myself when this actually occurred and the blast was horrific, just as severe as the first blast and we're currently now moving into recovery phase."

Peter Whittall, Pike River CEO, said he delivered the news to the families himself.

He said: "It was hard, obviously. They have looked to me for hope and for keeping them informed. I have tried to do that as factually as I can. It was my task and I wanted to tell the families."

As he left the room after making a brief statement to cameras he received a round of appluase from people present.

There is no information as yet as to the cause of the second explosion and Knowles would not speculate on whether anyone else had been injured.

Grieving families left the afternoon briefing at Grey District Council and did not want to talk to the waiting media. An ambulance arrived to offer assistance to the family members.

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Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn said it was "the West Coast's darkest hour, it doesn't get worse than this".

He said families broke down when told and there was anger directed at the police but not at Whittall.

Rescue workers were sent in straight away, which was "ironic", he said.

The press conference due to be held in Greymouth at 5pm has been delayed. Prime Minister John Key will hold a media briefing at 6.30pm, which will be broadcast live on TV ONE and streamed live on tvnz.co.nz - here

Mining expert David Feickert told TVNZ it was likely the men became unconscious from carbon monoxide prior to the second explosion and so would not have felt the blast.

ONE News presenter Peter Williams at the scene said the first member of the public he saw after the announcement was "ashen faced".

Gas samples

Earlier today Knowles said initial samples of gas that escaped from a bore-hole drilled this morning showed high levels of toxic gases. He warned they might never reach zero.

He added at a media conference this morning: "It is a very unstable environment and currently it is not safe to go underground. It may never reach that point, but if it does, rest assured we are ready."

Pike River Coal chief executive Peter Whittall said drilling broke through into the mine tunnel this morning, and the first samples showed the air was high in carbon monoxide and methane. He said it was also very low in oxygen.

He said then that it was not appropriate to send rescue teams underground at that time.

A camera put down the bore hole sent back images which are black and grainy.

A second army robot had gone into the mine.

The first robot sent into the entrance tunnel has found a helmet belonging to injured loader driver Russell Smith.

The light on the helmet is still going almost six days after the explosion.

Grey District mayor Tony Kokshoorn said this morning that families and the West Coast community were hanging on to hope despite the grim situation for their loved ones.

"We know we are losing hope now, but unless someone shows us otherwise, we are hanging on to all hope," he said at the time.

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