Fully clothed body located in Pike River mine
April 28th, 2011 - 2:48 pm ICT by ANIGreymouth (New Zealand), Apr 28 (ANI): A fully clothed body has been found and identified inside New Zealand’s Pike river coal mine, where 29 workers were killed in a series of methane blasts in November 2010.
The families of 29 men, including two Australians, said the revelations are “painful indication” that the men may have survived the first explosion.
“Hearing that has made us think ‘maybe there was hope, maybe we should have forced them somehow to get in there earlier and try to save them’,” The Herald Sun quoted Bernie Monk spokesman for the families, as saying.
A senior forensic pathologist has confirmed a video image taken in February shows a fully clothed person lying face down in the mine.
This appears to contradict the findings at a January inquest that all the men died in the first blast.
New Zealand’s Assistant Commissioner Grant Nicholls has stressed that the footage is hazy and more detailed camera equipment imported from the US was needed to verify the findings.
“It is important to note that the images we currently have are not that clear. More refinement and interpretation of what currently appears to be a body is needed,” said Nicholls.
Meanwhile, a royal commission of inquiry into the disaster is due to get underway in Greymouth on May 24. (ANI)
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Tags: assistant commissioner, australians, blasts, camera equipment, coal mine, commission of inquiry, disaster, first explosion, forensic pathologist, herald sun, inquest, may 24, methane, monk, nicholls, pike river, refinement, revelations, spokesman, video image