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Police say they are nearing the final stages of their criminal investigation into the first explosion at Pike River Mine in November 2010, which killed 29 men.
The Pike River underground coal mine is located high in the Paparoa Range on the West Coast of the South Island.
In a statement issued on February 2, Detective Superintendent Darryl Sweeney said the investigation remains ongoing and legally complex.
“This nationally significant and unique investigation is legally complex and Police have been working alongside the Crown Solicitor Wellington for over 18 months,” Sweeney said.
“We acknowledge this year will be 16 years since the disaster.
“Before any decisions can be made, we will be conducting a further investigation phase.”
Sweeney said Police would not provide details about the next phase in order to protect the integrity of the investigation.
“However, I can say any further update is likely to be several months away,” he said.
“We appreciate questions over the time this investigation has taken, but Police are committed to exploring all possible lines of enquiry out of respect for the 29 miners and their families.”
Background
On November 30, 2010, the Government announced the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy.
Then Prime Minister John Key (now Sir John Key), said the inquiry would have broad terms of reference.
“The inquiry will be able to examine and report on the causes of the explosions at the mine and subsequent loss of life, as well as all aspects of the safety regulatory regime and rescue operations that applied at the mine,” Key said at the time.
The Royal Commission was chaired by Justice Graham Panckhurst, with two additional commissioners appointed for their expertise in mining and safety regulation.
“The circumstances and cause of the deaths of 29 men in the Pike River mine need to be understood so that we can do everything we can to make sure this tragedy isn’t repeated,” Key said at the time.
According to the Royal Commission’s terms of reference, a major explosion occurred on November 19, 2010, at the Pike River coal mine near Greymouth, which was operated by Pike River Coal Limited.
At the time, 31 employees or contractors were underground. Two men escaped the mine, while the remaining workers were missing.
On November 24, 2010, before the mine was declared safe for search and rescue operations, a second explosion occurred. Expert assessment concluded that none of those trapped underground could have survived.
The Royal Commission delivered its final report to the Governor-General on October 30, 2012, publishing its findings in two volumes.
The disaster has also been documented in film. Pike River, released in 2025, was directed by Robert Sarkies and stars Melanie Lynskey and Robyn Malcolm.
