Blast rocks New Zealand coal mine; 27 trapped
The new mine, which only began shipping coal this year, is dug into the side of a mountain range in the country's rugged South Island, burrowing into a deposit that, according to one recent visitor, was relatively gaseous.
Two men had come out of the mine and were being treated in hospital for moderate injuries. They had told authorities that another three were making their way out.
Police said they did not know of any deaths, as was being reported by some media.
"There are no confirmed fatalities," a police spokeswoman told Reuters.
Peter Whittall, chief executive of the mine's owner, Pike River Coal , said he believed 27 people, a mix of miners and external contractors, were trapped.
"Whether they are trapped or choosing to stay underground and shelter from whatever the extent of the incident is, we don't know at this stage," Whittall told Television 3.
The mine's main tunnel is more than two kms into a mountain range. The area is so remote that mobile-phone service is patchy; Kazinform cites China Daily.
See www.chinadaily.com.cn for full version.