View this article online: https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/international/2011/07/22/188568.htm
The boss of a New Zealand coal mine where 29 people died in an explosion last year has acknowledged the mine faced difficulties with finances, personnel and safety.
In testimony this week at a formal inquiry into the methane-fueled disaster, Pike River Coal Chief Executive Peter Whittall said he knew a four-inch pipeline removing methane gas from the mine was “inadequate” from the time it was installed. He said the plan was always to replace the pipe with a larger one.
Whittall said he’d faced “a lot of frustration” with the lack of continuity in having six different mine managers over two years. And he acknowledged the mine faced a cash flow problem after operating over schedule and behind budget.
The inquiry, in the South Island town of Greymouth, continues.