New Zealand Miners

[Dick Moby]

I suspect that the chance of finding these miners alive is very poor now. I have just seen a news report which suggests that ?We?re ready to go, the risk assessment has been done and we?re just waiting for it to be signed off? So a rescue operation will go ahead but only when some senior management has got his arse covered. I?m sure that most of the rescue team would have been ready to go from the start; after all it?s their mates who are in difficulty. The rescue team will be well trained and I?m sure will be able to assess things as they go but I suspect that insurance problems could be behind the failure to proceed.

[jimslip]

Poor guys, I can't think of anything worse. Here's latest as at 2.30am ish:

[Deano!]

I don't know anything about mining, but it seems they're scared of just barging in and causing another explosion - making things worse. I think NZ mines would have similar safety regulations to Aussie mines which would mean they'd have to have rescue stations built into the tunnels which would provide oxygen and water at least for several days. But they might not have been able to get there plus, it's getting a bit late now.

[Arginald Valleywater]

Sorry Dick but first rule of H+S is don't put yourself in danger to rescue someone else. By all accounts going down the mine would be suicide for the rescue team. I can't imagine the poor lads trapped down there would wany more people to perish on their behalf. It is high risk job and therefore always a chance of an accident. Still a big loss for a first world country like New Zealand.

[Deano!]

Looks like it's all too late now -

[max_tranmere]

It is very sad that it's been announced that all of the miners appear to have died. Very tragic indeed.

The Queen has given a message of support to the families and to the New Zealand people. It has got huge press coverage during recent times aswell.

I am slightly puzzled as to one thing though: this event, terrible as it is, got lots of coverage and a message from the Monarch following the announcement that all involved appear to have perished. This sort of death toll is, very sadly, a regular occcurance in incidents that occur in Pakistan and in other countires too, because of terrorism. When it happens in one of those places it gets 30 seconds on the news and no politican, let alone the Queen, comments on it. I know the Queen is the Head Of State for New Zealand, but a large death toll from an incident is a large death toll from an incident - and is, surely, just as awful where ever it occured. The media, and the movers and shakers in Western society, don't seem to see it like that. They are very selective in what they regard as bad and tragic.

[one eyed jack]

Thats because the people that filter the news to us have determined that 30 civilian deaths are par for the course in an area rife with conflict versus this new tragedy hot off the chilean miners therefore is more relevant.

That wasnt too hard to figure out surely Max?

Im not saying 30 deaths in Pakistan are irrelevant. Far from it but we know people are dying there everyday so whats new?

This is and it is so sad when peoples hopes are dashed.

Lets not forget the news is also there to "entertain" as well as keep informed.

It is TV after all

[max_tranmere]

oej, obviously if deaths in a particular country are commonplace then that will shock people a little bit less internationally than in a place where it doesn't ever happen. I still think that 30 people killed in Pakistan is just as serious and as sad as 30 people dying in New Zealand is, but the media don't seem to think so, probably for that reason.

I saw a programme on Pakistan on Monday night, I think it was Dispatches on Channel 4. One man, whose wife was killed by a suicide bomber, said 'we have a 9/11 or a 7/7 here every other day'. He was exagerating about these incidents being like 9/11 but not about them being like 7/7. They gave a figure of how many people have died there in the last 18 months, I can't remember the numbers but it is something like 10 or 15,000 and that is very disturbing.

[Dick Moby]

I understand what you're saying but the rescue team are doing the job because they want to actually rescue people,probably their friends. I'm sure that some of the team would have been willing to make an attempt and trust to their own senses/abilities. I wonder if a rescue attempt was not made because the rescue equipment was either defective or missing altogether. Falling back on "the risk assessment has not been signed off" is a nice easy get out clause.
I suppose the truth will come out eventually.

[Deano!]

I know what you mean Max. It's quiet interesting to notice the hypocrisy of certain media outlets who make such a fuss about the lack of one legged, left-handed, HIV positive Muslim acrobats in Parliament as proof of racism and prejudice , yet are quite comfortable with announcing that of 500 Africans were burnt to death as a minor story after the local minor league sports results. They give themselves away.