Sunday, November 13, 2011

New Zealand coal deaths: former chief executive faces criminal charges

Wales Online reports the former chief executive of Pike River Coal of New Zealand, Peter Whittall faces 12 criminal charges over the 2010 mine explosion that killed 29 miners. An enormous methane explosion ripped through the mine near Greymouth on November 19 2010 and the state-owned mine has since been put up for sale.

 

Wales Online reports his lawyers wrote in a release: "Mr Whittall is a coal miner. He comes from a coal mining town and has worked in underground mines all his life. He maintains that he would never do anything to put men who worked with him at risk. And Mr Whittall will fight being scapegoated now."

 

MINING.com reported at the end of October Chinese state-owned Shanxi Coal is understood to be in the running to buy Pike River Coal as part of a joint bid with local miner Solid Energy. The state-owned mine was previously operated by Solid Energy and was put up for sale as part of a privatization programme after it went bankrupt following the tragedy.

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