NZ Miners May Not Have Survived Blast

GREYMOUTH, New Zealand -- Police acknowledged for the first time Monday that some of the 29 miners trapped underground for three days by a gas explosion may not have survived, as toxic fumes continued to prevent rescuers from entering the tunnel.


Authorities expected to finish drilling a six-inch-wide shaft into the mine tunnel later Monday to get a better idea of the air quality inside the mine in an area where miners were believed trapped by the Friday's blast. Tests every 30 minutes on areas currently accessible continued to indicate the air was too toxic for rescuers to enter.




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