Mine blast leaves New Zealand grief-stricken

The tight-knit West Coast community of New Zealand was said to be "grief-stricken" after the mine hailed as an economic boon turned on them, trapping 29 miners after a gas explosion.

There has been no word from the miners since Friday's blast in the remote area, and with hopes of an immediate rescue attempt thwarted by fears of toxic gas or another explosion, the outlook for the men looked grim on Saturday.

While the mine owners continued to hold out hope that the missing men were still alive, Grey District mayor Tony Kokshoorn conceded "every hour that goes by, it gets more dire".

When the Pike River mine opened two years ago it was heralded as an economic saviour for the sparsely populated area sandwiched between the Southern Alps and the Tasman Sea, fondly referred to by New Zealanders simply as "The Coast".

"There's a big resurgence in coal. It's going to be great for the whole economy of the West Coast. There're 150 jobs in the Pike River mine alone," Kokshoorn said when the mine reached its first seam.

Jobs were then sorely needed, and there was no shortage of people willing to make the journey from the main port town of Greymouth to the mine situated in luxurious rainforest amid rugged countryside 50 kilometres (30 miles) north.

The villages scattered between Greymouth and Pike River are no more than a handful of houses each, most dating back to the Grey District's heyday in the early 1900s, when mining and timber milling flourished.

But when coal went out of fashion and milling died, so too did the Grey economy. Its population dwindled to 13,200, small enough to ensure that most families there know someone who works at Pike River.

Although the West Coast is no stranger to mining tragedies -- more than 100 lives have been lost in a series of disasters over the past 115 years -- Kokshoorn said the community is "grief-stricken" by the Pike River explosion.

"You wouldn't believe the grief that's there. The whole town has come to a standstill. We are just trying to work it through. I can't stress to you how emotional this is. This is the toughest thing I've ever gone through."

The missing range from a 17-year-old said to have been on his first shift to a 62-year-old mining veteran.

Among them are a local city councillor, a prominent rugby league player, a popular publican's son, and a father of five young children.

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