Pike River families calls for explosion speculation to end

The wife of one of the men killed in the Pike River mine says leaked information about what has been found during the re-entry into the mine could undermine any future court action. Twenty-nine men died in the mine after an explosion underground in November 2010. Richard Healey, an electrical engineer who was been employed by some of the families of men who died in the explosion, says he believes the explosion was caused by an underground ventilation fan. He says that a 3 metre long piece of metal, which was pulled from deep inside the entry tunnel around two months ago, and which he saw on a visit to the mine, came from a fan. Mr Healey says he thinks part of the fan flew off and hit the wall, creating a rockfall, which was followed by an explosion. Anna Osborne, whose husband Milton died in the mine explosion told reporter Conan Young the theory is pure speculation, and very hurtful to the other families.