Human remains found in New Zealand coal mine 11 years after series of explosions
November 17, 2021, 6:44 am

Human remains found in New Zealand coal mine 11 years after series of explosions

New Zealand-Auckland/Pixabay

The Sky News reported according to New Zealand police, human remains have been found in a New Zealand coal mine more than a decade after one of the country's worst industrial disasters.

Twenty-nine men were killed after a series of methane gas explosions ripped through the Pike River mine on the west coast of the South Island in November 2010.

Two workers managed to escape.

Entry was banned to the mine for years - and it was permanently closed due to safety concerns.

In 2019, nine years after the incident, investigators were allowed access in following calls from the families of the miners.

Police said pictures taken confirmed two bodies had been found, with the possibility of a third, during a search in the mine last week.

However, the remains were far from the mine entrance and could not be recovered.

Read more: Return of Syrian refugees key topic in Turkish Foreign Minister’s talks in Lebanon

Detective Superintendent Peter Read said: "While we have been unable to identify the remains, we are working with forensic experts to see what we can do to confirm their identities."

He added that investigators believe there were six to eight people working in the area where the remains were found.

Two years after the blast, a Royal Commission report found that the Pike River Coal mining company ignored 21 warnings that methane gas had accumulated to explosive levels before the fatal blast.

It found broad safety problems and said the firm had exposed miners to unacceptable risks to meet financial targets.

At the time of the disaster, there were only two mine inspectors who were unable to keep up with their workload, it said.

Former New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said: "The company completely and utterly failed to protect its workers."

The workers were around 5,000ft from the mine entrance when the explosion took place. Further blasts occurred and the men were presumed to have been killed.

Source: skynews

Return of Syrian refugees key topic in Turkish Foreign Minister’s talks in Lebanon Slovenian minister says EU plans green and digital tourism transformation by 2030

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.