a letter to the editor published in today SST.
Pike River
As a former government inspector of explosives, I use to inspect every mine on the West Coast. I was also required to destroy any explosives that showed signes of hygroscopic deterioration (ie, absorption of water and the exudation of nitro-glycerine.)
I had read, as a very interested party, much of the media coverage and come to the conclusion already that this would end up as a catastrophic botch-up. The fact that the police were given overriding power in the rescue operation was the first botch-up. In a mine such as this, the least risky time to go in was immediately after the first blast.
Progress was held up inordinately, waiting for the first piece of Heath Robinson equipment from Queensland, which I am told proved useless on the first attempt. Then a modified jet engine, again from Australia, was awaited, which also failed to do the job.
I do not recall any mention that expertise in such a situation was ever requested from south Wales, which has far more experience in similar situations than Australian mines will ever have.
Roy Strother
Titirangi, Auckland.
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