A methane explosion occurred in the mine at approximately 3. First images emerge from new zealands pike river mine. Newshub has been leaked more footage from inside pike river mine, but this time its. How and why 29 men died, based on research and interviews into the causes of the disaster. Pike river is the latest major new zealand mining disaster. However the pike river recovery minister, andrew little, now said this would not be happening, and work would now finish once crews reach the rockfall just before the main workings. I am actually having a bit of a hard time with this. Tragedy at pike river mine is a dramatic, suspenseful account of a disaster that shook the nation and the world. Some things pike rivers peter whittall could feel guilt. Although the minimum width of land recommended between the mine and river was 35 feet, the walls had been excavated to an estimated 19 inches from the raging susquehanna. The river slope mine, under the ownership of the knox coal company, was one of many to be found in the northern anthracite coal field during the flourishing mining era. Following the pike river mine disaster in new zealand which claimed the. The knox mine disaster was a mining accident on january 22, 1959 at the river slope mine in jenkins township, pennsylvania.
Pike river mine disaster malcolm campbell, 25, was one of 29 miners who died after an explosion deep in the pike river mine last november. The investigation makes compelling reading, and illustrates the power of journalism in book form. The pike river mine disaster was a coal mining accident that began on 19 november 2010 in. Think of the miners,contractors and their families, just for a moment. Prcs former technical services manager pieter van rooyen revealed that his department received an email in april 2010, seven months before the explosion, from a mine shift. Home images and media video cctv footage of pike river mine explosion cctv footage of pike river mine explosion this closedcircuit television footage shows the entrance to the pike river mine at the time of the initial explosion, 3. New zealand post book award, best first book, nonfiction. Oktedi river mine disaster in papua, new guinea, the giant australian multinational, bhp, has been operating a large copper mine for over a decade. This video shows the location of the knox mine disaster and shows how it looks today as well as footage from 1959. The science, politics, and greed behind the gold king mine disaster thompson, jonathan p. Finally they diverted the river around wintermoot island by building. Pike river mine disaster book an ordinary tragedy extraordinarily. Leaked pike river mine footage could prove there were.
How and why 29 men died by rebecca macfie via based on extensive research and more than a hundred interviews, this powerful book provides chilling insights into the causes of the tragedy and puts a human face on the people who suffered. The disaster occurred when workers were ordered to dig illegally under the susquehanna river without proper safety precautions, creating a hole in the riverbed which caused the river to flood into the many interconnected. To the pike river families and new zealand we are returning. Pike river mine disaster book among award finalists. An explosion ripped through the remote pike river mine on the west coast of the south island, killing 29 men. Pike river mine disaster book among award finalists nbr. Winner new zealand post book award best first book nonfiction.
Tragedy at pike river mine is a dramatic, suspenseful account of a disaster that shook the nationand the world. Whittall could reflect, too, on the way he treated the families in the aftermath of the disaster. Instead of building a tailings dam, as do most other similar mines in other countries, bhp has been dumping about 100,000 tons of mining waste every day into the oktedi and fly rivers. Tragedy at pike river mine by rebecca macfie rakuten kobo. Reentry to pike river mine in the nz to recover the bodies of 29 miners, who perished in a mine explosion in november 2010, is likely to occur before christmas some family members say. Right from the beginning, in his book, dr cohen claimed the real goal of the pike river mine explosion was to shock the public, turn the publics attitude away from underground mining on conservation land, and open the way for foreign mining companies and the international banks that control them to come in and opencut our coal and. This book will certainly spoil your xmas festivities. It was warm for early march as the evening shift reported for work at the viking mine. The pike river mine prm, an underground coal mine in new zealand nz, exploded in 2010. On a sunny afternoon in november 2010, a massive explosion rocked the underground. John drinnan, new zealand herald this is the best sort of journalism methodical, well researched and dispassionate. The book covers the establishment of the mine, its first year of operation, the disaster itself, and the aftermath macfie makes the case, going right back to the first establishment of the mine at pike river, that this was a completely avoidable disaster waiting to happen. Pike river mine disaster book an ordinary tragedy extraordinarily told. Pike river mine disaster royal commission into the pike.
Knox mine disaster victims remembered news citizens voice. It had been touted by the company and by government ministers as a showcase of modern mining. Rebecca macfie is a new zealand author and journalist. Royal commission into the pike river mine tragedy pikeriver.
On a sunny afternoon in november 2010, in the beautiful paparoa range of the south island, a massive explosion rocked an underground coal mine. Royal commission on the pike river coal mine tragedy. Because of its remoteness and the low price of coal, there was little interest in the pike river coalfield for the next 30 years. Then, think of those nz oil and gas directors and pike river managers who have escaped legal culpability.
The governmentowned state coal mines held mining and prospecting leases over all the major coalfields except pike river. Pike river mine explosion christchurch city libraries. Tragedy at pike river mine is a dramatic, suspenseful account of a disaster that shook. Des moines, iowa the metros newest recreational area is open for outdoor enthusiasts.
There is no doubt in daniel rockhouses mind that he and russell smith were not the only two who survived the first pike river mine explosion. The inquiry will examine and report on the causes of the explosions at the mine and subsequent loss of life, and all aspects of the safety regulatory regime and rescue operations at the mine. Leaked pike river mine footage could prove there were survivors after first explosion. The first images from inside the new zealands pike river mine, where an explosion killed 29 men nearly nine years ago, have been released. The human tragedy cannot be undone, but it is hoped that documenting the events leading up to the disaster will help future generations to avoid making similar mistakes. Mines rescue staff prepare to enter pike river mine months after the 2010 explosion. Rebecca macfie, author of a new book on the pike river explosion, answers questions about our worst mining disaster in nearly a century. Mccormick best first book award for nonfiction, bert roth award for excellence in labour history.
Pike river mine, jacob cohen emergency services criminally prevented from doing their. Christchurch journalist rebecca macfies account of the pike river coal mine disaster is among the finalists in the new zealand post book awards. All text is licensed under the creative commons attribution noncommercial 3. Pierced hopes at pike river our blog post on rebecca macfies book. The blast injured two men, but trapped 29 at least 1. I thought it would be an easy thing to find a book like this on hurricane katrina but all the books provide different perspectives, but none from fema or. Cctv footage of pike river mine explosion nzhistory, new. Family members cheered from outside the mine as a recovery team broke through the. At the time of the explosion 31 miners and contractors were present in the mine.
Credit is due to rebecca macfie for her book, tragedy at pike river mine. Temperatures in the 60s may have given some fleeting thoughts of an early spring. Eight years and six months after the pike river mine explosion, the first people reentered the mine this morning. Tragedy at pike river mine, rebecca macfie this article marks the fifth anniversary of the explosion at the pike river mine. Update expected on pike river mine reentry rnz news. On thursday, the iowa department of natural resources, along with the des moines water works, the city of west des moines and the friends of walnut woods state park held a grand opening of purple martin lake water resource area located off army post road, southwest of walnut woods state park. Added by rose every person in both new zealand and australia, indeed the world, should watch this very recent mindboggling interview by tony gosling in the uk, former bbc journalist, with dr jacob cohen, author of murder at pike river mine. Pike river mine disaster news, views, gossip, pictures. Pike river reentry to go ahead otago daily times online. Shares in the company had been rapidly taken up by investors, swept away by predictions of extraordinary. Given the pike river mine s design, there was never any real hope anyone survived the first. This paper analyses the causes of the disaster, with a particular focus on the systems engineering and organisational contributions.
With bruce allpress, jack barry, nick bellbooth, roy billing. Tragedy at pike river mine has been a bestseller since its publication late last year. Her storytelling has you feeling included in the actual explosion at 3. The pike river mine disaster was a coal mining accident that began on 19 november 2010 in the pike river mine, 46 kilometres 29 mi northeast of greymouth, in the west coast region of new zealands south island. Docudrama about the pike river mine and the series of events that led up to the explosion in the mine on 19th november 2010 and the death of 29 miners and contractors. That was pike river reentry minister andrew littles message this morning as he announced that reentry to the pike river mine drift would go ahead. The pike river mine incident ranks as new zealands worst mining disaster since 1914, when 43 men died at ralphs mine in huntly.
The book that will change the way we think about the pike river mine disaster was launched in greymouth last night. I am looking for books on disaster responserecovery, emergency management. The science, politics, and greed behind the gold king mine disaster. The press secured this exclusive extract from the chapter entombed. Tragedy at pike river mine, rebecca macfie shop online. Poor systemsengineering contributed via poorly designed ventilation, use of powerelectronics underground, and placement of the main ventilation fan underground.
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