RIP, men

Our sympathies and prayers are with those left behind in the mine, and their families.

Could NZ have done it better? Only an inquiry will tell us now. One thing I want to make clear, however. Much as I might disagree with the initial operational decisions taken by Gary Knowles and Peter Whittal - they were working towards the same goal as everyone else. They should not become a focus of anger.

 
NZPA/Ross Setford

 

1. Conrad John Adams, 43, Greymouth
2. Malcolm Campbell, 25, Greymouth (Scottish)
3. Glen Peter Cruse, 35, Cobden
4. Allan John Dixon, 59, Runanga
5. Zen Wodin Drew, 21, Greymouth
6. Christopher Peter Duggan, 31, Greymouth
7. Joseph Ray Dunbar, 17, Greymouth
8. John Leonard Hale, 45, Ruatapu
9. Daniel Thomas Herk, 36, Runanga
10. David Mark Hoggart, 33, Greymouth
11. Richard Bennett Holling, 41, Blackball
12. Andrew David Hurren, 32, Hokitika
13. Jacobus (Koos) Albertus Jonker, 47, Cobden (South Africa)
14. William John Joynson, 49, Dunollie Australia
15. Riki Steve Keane, 28, Greymouth.
16. Terry David Kitchin, 41, Runanga
17. Samuel Peter Mackie, 26, Greymouth
18. Francis Skiddy Marden, 41, Runanga
19. Michael Nolan Hanmer Monk, 23, Greymouth
20. Stuart Gilbert Mudge, 31, Runanga.
21. Kane Barry Nieper, 33, Greymouth
22. Peter O’Neill, 55, Runanga
23. Milton John Osborne, 54, Ngahere
24. Brendan John Palmer, 27, Cobden
25. Benjamin David Rockhouse, 21, Greymouth
26. Peter James Rodger, 40, Greymouth (British)
27. Blair David Sims, 28, Greymouth
28. Joshua Adam Ufer, 25, Australia
29. Keith Thomas Valli, 62, Winton.

Comments

[peter]

I think that this devastating explosion today demonstrated that the suggestion you could "send someone into the mine to sort things out" was quite inadvisable - and there are people Ian who should be admitting as much right now.

This mine was a "powder keg" and it was a blessing that we had people in control with a steady nerve.

Any enquiry should not be looking at the inability to rescue, but whether the mine was properly configured for access and safety. Properly in the legal sense, properly in terms of best practice.

[BammBamm]

See my second and last last post on another thread here - it was posted the same time as the explosion, and I would put good money on it that it was probably set off by the electrics of one of the remote vehicles in the mine.
See the post about the electronics design problems with the remotes.

If you read my last post, you will find out that was exactly what I was talking about.

The sooner NZ wakes up - and realises it has the wrong people, in the wrong jobs, the better.

There should have been volunteers in there on day one with re-breathers.

Why? Because more can be done inside the golden hour by people on the ground. It was safe. An opportunity was lost - for 3 days!!!!!!

Look at the Liquidators at Chernobyl? If they hadn't gone in to clean up the Core, millions more would have died.

To lose a rescuer or two is an acceptable risk. It happens all the time in China, and other countries.

You would call that extravagant, however life is all about risks.

New Zelanders have become to simple, feable minded, stupid, and anally repressed.

I didn't see anyone else on this forum other than myself publically volunteering to put themselves in that mine to go and look? It would have beenstuff all money .. and there is too much cheap talk here.

At the end of the day, someone still has to go in on foot and look.
If that was done first, we would have the answers. Instead we most likely have a stupid poorly designed robot arcing and blowing up the mine. Again.

[BammBamm]

Ian Wishart.

Keep pushing this. There needs to be a serious investigation.
You need to talk to the miners of the other shifts, as well as the real experts from overseas.

Don't let these Gentlemens deaths be in vane. They trusted people that they worked with, and they trusted in New Zealanders to pull together to watch their backs, if something went wrong.

Well, something did go wrong - at a lot of levels, and New Zealanders couldn't sort their shit out.

Someone needs to sort New Zealand out, because this really stinks. This country is going to the dogs.

[Ben]

As Ian posted at the top, is it possible to keep this thread anger-free? Debate all you want on the other threads regarding this tragedy - but it would be nice if we could dedicate this solely to respecting those who lost their lives.

[probligo]

Could Wilma please take bammbamm's toy stone axe off him and put it somewhere safe before he hurts himself with it?

[Ian Wishart]

Yeah, we should confine the technical debate to the other threads. I think as my earlier posts made clear there was a caveat on my send-them-in position. I am interested to see whether a genuine window of opportunity existed and was missed by NZ Police...but that is a debate for the other threads.

We have to give families time and space to grieve, and as I say we should not overstep the line in criticism of Knowles and Whittall. Both men fronted, Whittall in particular struck me as a leader right from day one. They will have been deeply affected by the outcome of this and deserve our sympathies.

The victims have passed on, all that remains is for the lessons from this to be learned.