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New Zealand Mine Blast Traps 29

Possibly only 120 feet below surface.

In a disaster reminiscent of the Chilean mine collapse, 29 miners are believed to be trapped in New Zealand’s largest coal mine after an explosion Friday. Relatives gathered outside the mine along with rescuers, but no one could enter for fear of any build-up of the gas that may have caused the explosion. Though the miners are 1.5 miles into the mine, they may by only 120 feet below the surface, as the mine drills horizontally into the side of a mountain. Five miners made it safely to the surface after the explosion. "It's not good news at all," said Tony Kokshoorn, the mayor of nearby Greymouth. "We don't know at what depth the explosion is but there's certainly a big explosion. With a bit of luck, things might be OK."