Little, family members enter Pike River drift

GREYMOUTH: Pike River Mine Reentry Minister Andrew Little says he went into the mine’s drift yesterday to demonstrate a safe reentry is possible.

Mr Little walked 30m into the mine’s main entry tunnel with Pike family representatives Anna Osborne and Sonya Rockhouse, who both lost a family member in the 2010 disaster.

The mine’s drift is sealed at the 30m mark, to stop methane leaking out.

Mr Little said it was an emotional journey.

He said in the 11 weeks since the Government formed the Pike River Recovery Agency there had been real progress on plans for a safe reentry, and yesterday proved that.

Mrs Osborne said being allowed to go 30m down the mine’s main entry tunnel yesterday was a significant milestone.

Mrs Osborne, whose husband Milton died in the mine explosions, said she was closer to her husband than she had been since the last day he walked into the mine.

She said it broke her heart to be there.

While on the West Coast, Mr Little was meeting families of the 29 men who died in the disaster.

Spokesman for some of the families Bernie Monk said it was important they be kept up to date with how work around the mine’s reentry was going and yesterday’s meeting would allow for that.

Mr Monk said they had been kept in the dark under the previous government.