New Zealand authorities say a second explosion at the Pike River coal mine ended all hope that any of 29 trapped miners were still alive.
The blast rumbled through the mine near Greymouth Tuesday and was larger than the one Friday that initially trapped the men underground.
"We are now going into recovery mode. I had to break the news to the family and they were extremely distraught," said Police Superintendent Gary Knowles.
Knowles told reporters he was at the mine when the explosion occurred Tuesday afternoon. He called it "prolific" and said rescue experts agreed no
one could have survived.
The New Zealand Herald said the mood around the mining town of Greymouth was extremely gloomy and that the miners' families had been holding out hope that a rescue crew would be able to get into the mine in the near future.
Prime Minister John Key planned to visit the site Wednesday, and the government was expected to begin an inquiry into the tragedy in the near
future, the Herald said.