Pike River Mine (Greymouth): Crews in New Zealand on Tuesday reentered an underground coal mine where a methane explosion killed 29 workers more than eight years ago, raising hopes among family members that they might find bodies and new evidence that leads to criminal charges.
Families of the victims say they had been fighting for this ever since the Pike River mine exploded in November 2010.
After several more explosions, the mine was sealed shut with a concrete barrier.
It was an emotional moment for Tracey Keane-Harvey, who lost her son in the accident.
She hoped the reopening will shed new light on the investigation and provide justice for the victims.
Dinghy Pattinson of Pike River Recovery Agency, said conditions inside the mine were good and the reopening "went extremely well."
New Zealand's previous conservative government concluded the mine remained too unsafe to reenter.
But the liberal government elected in 2017, led by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, reconsidered.
The plan won't allow access into the inner workings of the mine, which are blocked by a massive rockfall.
It remains unclear how many miners were on either side of the rockfall at the time of the explosion or how many bodies might be recovered.
New Zealand police said they'll be examining any new evidence from the mine, which they could use to file charges.
An earlier investigation concluded the Pike River Coal company had exposed miners to unacceptable risks as it strove to meet financial targets.
Also Read: Sudan talks yield no results, protest continues
The report found the company ignored 21 warnings that methane gas had accumulated to explosive levels before the disaster.
The company, which went bankrupt, didn't contest labour violation charges against it.
