The entrance to the Pike River Coal mine where 29 workers were trapped after an explosion.

A Pike River Coal company vehicle sits at the closest safe point to the entrance of the mine where 29 workers were trapped inside after an explosion.

TENSE TIME: Mines Minister Gerry Brownlee takes a phone call outside the press conference at the Greymouth police station.

CORNERSTONE OF THE COMMUNITY: A local passes the miners hall in Runanga on the outskirts of Greymouth.

ANGUISH: A woman grieves after relatives were told the trapped Pike River miners were dead.

END OF HOPE: Pike River chief executive Peter Whittall holds a press conference were he said that a second explosion has blasted the Pike River coal mine, with none of the 29 trapped miners able to survive it.

END OF HOPE: Pike River chief executive Peter Whittall holds a press conference were he said that a second explosion has blasted the Pike River coal mine, with none of the 29 trapped miners able to survive it.

ANGUISH: Prime Minister John Key holds a press conference after the second explosion at Pike River mine where no miners have survived.

GRIEF: Family members of miners trapped underground in the Pike River coal mine react after learning of a second explosion in the mine at a briefing by mine authorities and police.

A COMMUNITY IN MOURNING: A woman outside Revingtons Hotel in Greymouth not long after hearing the miners were dead.

WORDS FROM THE GRIEVING: Messages left at Holy Trinity Anglican Church after a candlelight vigil.

Neville Rockhouse, centre, father of perished miner Benjamin Rockhouse, and Daniel Rockhouse, one of the two miners that survived the tragedy.

Flags fly at half mast at Parliament in Wellington, the courthouse in Greymouth and St Peters Cathedral in Hamilton.

Prime Minister John Key arrives in Greymouth to speak to families of mine victims.

John Key arrives at Greymouth airport and is met by National minister Gerry Brownlee and waiting media.

TRIBUTE: Flowers left at the first gate into the Pike River mining site.

The 'GAG' unit - a modified jet engine to be used to try to neutralise the atmosphere in the mine to allow a recovery team to go in - rolls towards the Pike River mine.

Mourners gathered at St Patricks Catholic Church in Greymouth to remember those who perished in the Pike River mine tragedy.

Bagpiper Bruce Keddie practising his pipes for the upcoming memorial for the dead miners. His nephew Brendan Palmer was one of those killed in the mine.

LASTING TRIBUTE: A Pike River miner paying tribute to his friends and colleagues with a tattoo.

PAYING RESPECT: A miner laying down flowers at the White Knight Bridge near the entrance to the Pike River mine.

TAG BOARD: The tag board containing photo tags of the 29 workers killed in the Pike River Coal Mine, Greymouth.

CLOSED: Many stores in Greymouth are closing for the memorial service out of respect.

QUIET REFLECTION: Steve Johnson from Blackball takes a moment on the beach in Greymouth.

Early arrivals at Omoto Racecourse for the remembrance service for the 29 miners who died at Pike River.

Nuns arrive for the remembrance service for the 29 men killed in the Pike River mine disaster.

New Zealand, South African, Australian and British flags fly at Parliament on memorial day for the miners who died in the Pike River mine disaster.

Mourners gathering for a remembrance service look at personal items of the men killed in the Pike River mine disaster.

Personal items of the 29 men killed in the Pike River mine disaster are displayed as mourners gather for a remembrance service.

Reverend Tim Mora speaks to the memorial for the 29 men who died in the Pike River mine disaster.

Pike River chief executive Peter Whittall speaks at the memorial for the 29 miners who died in the Pike River mine disaster.

Thousands gather for the memorial for the 29 men who died in the Pike River mine disaster.

Prime Minister addresses the memorial for the 29 men killed in the Pike River mine disaster.

A police officer wears a yellow ribbon at the memorial service for the 29 dead Pike River coal miners.

Prime Minister John Key comforts his wife Bronagh after paying respects to the 29 tables representing the dead miners.

Family members fell to the ground in grief after learning the 29 trapped miners could not have survived a second explosion, marking New Zealand's worst single loss of life since Erebus.

Distraught family members left a scheduled briefing this afternoon, only about 10 minutes after it had started, and many of them were in tears. They had been told their family members - underground since a first massive gas explosion on Friday - could not have survived the second blast.

About 200 people, including Opposition leader Phil Goff, Greymouth Mayor Tony Kokshoorn and Pike River chief executive Peter Whittall attended the vigil for the miners, which had been held each day since the miners first went missing on Friday.



One of the two men who walked out of the mine on Friday, Daniel Rockhouse, also attended the service with his family who spent several minutes embracing Whittall.



Father John Morrison, of the St Patrick's Catholic Church just down the road, read a message from Pope Benedict XVI in which the Pope expressed his condolences and sympathy for the events in Greymouth.



The message said he was distressed to hear of the accident and he shared the anxiety of the families. He remembered them in a special way in his prayers and he invoked a blessing to give people courage and strength.



Anglican vicar Marge Teffe addressed the packed church first, saying it was a devastating day for the West Coast. She paid tribute to Whittall and said, "we don't know how you do it".

1 of 45 LAWRENCE SMITH Mine rescue co-ordinator Superintendent Gary Knowles, left, and mine boss Peter Whittall front the media on Wednesday. 2 of 45 DAVID HALLETT/The Press A local passes the miners hall in Runanga on the outskirts of Greymouth on Wednesday. 3 of 45 DAVID HALLETT/The Press Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee takes a phone call outside the press conference at the police station on Wednesday. 4 of 45 IAIN MCGREGOR/The Press Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn, left, comforts relatives after Wednesday morning's briefing on the Pike River Coal Mine disaster. 5 of 45 IAIN MCGREGOR/The Press Relatives leave their morning briefing on the Pike River Coal mine crisis at the Grey District Council buildings on Wednesday. 6 of 45 IAIN MCGREGOR/The Press Relatives leave their morning briefing on the Pike River Coal mine crisis at the Grey District Council buildings on Wednesday. 7 of 45 AMY GLASS A third robot arrived from Australia this morning on a New Zealand Airforce hercules. 8 of 45 AMY GLASS The third robot, from Australia, arrived when two Defence Force robots were already in the mine. 9 of 45 AMY GLASS The third robot was unloaded at Hokitika airport shortly after 8am. 10 of 45 IAIN McGREGOR Family leave a briefing after viewing CCTV footage of the explosion at the Pike River coal mine. 11 of 45 IAIN McGREGOR Family leave a briefing after viewing CCTV footage of the explosion at the Pike River coal mine. 12 of 45 MARTIN DE RUYTER Pike River Coal chief executive Peter Whittall shows a projected map of the mine at a media briefing. 13 of 45 IAIN MCGREGOR/The Press An Air Force Iroquois drops off Search and Rescue crew working on the Pike River Coal mine rescue operation back in Greymouth on Tuesday. 14 of 45 IAIN MCGREGOR/The Press Left to right: Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee, Police Commissioner Howard Broad, and Police Minister Judith Collins at Greymouth on Tuesday. 15 of 45 IAIN MCGREGOR/The Press Relatives gather after Tuesday morning's briefing, five days since the Pike River Coal mine explosion. 16 of 45 IAIN MCGREGOR/The Press Bernie Monk, the father of trapped miner Michael Monk, after the Tuesday morning briefing for relatives, five days after the explosion. 17 of 45 MARTIN DE RUYTER/Nelson Mail Relatives console each other after Tuesday morning's briefing, five days since the Pike River Coal mine explosion. At right is Trevor O'Neill, brother of trapped miner Peter O'Neill. 18 of 45 MARTIN DE RUYTER/Nelson Mail Relatives console each other after Tuesday morning's briefing, five days since the Pike River Coal mine explosion. At left is Martin Palmer, father of trapped miner Brendan Palmer. 19 of 45 The first Defence Force robot to be used in the mine rescue. 20 of 45 MARTIN HUNTER The family and friends of the missing miners support each other while waiting for news. 21 of 45 IAIN MCGREGOR/The Press Pike River chief executive Peter Whittall and Police Superintendent Gary Knowles at Sunday morning's press conference. 22 of 45 MARTIN HUNTER The family and friends of the missing miners support each other while waiting for news. 23 of 45 MARTIN HUNTER The family and friends of the missing miners support each other while waiting for news. 24 of 45 The family and friends of the missing miners support each other while waiting for news. 25 of 45 MARTIN HUNTER The family and friends of the missing miners support each other while waiting for news. 26 of 45 MARTIN HUNTER The family and friends of the missing miners support each other while waiting for news. 27 of 45 The family and friends of the missing miners support each other while waiting for news. 28 of 45 IAIN MCGREGOR/The Press A church service for friends and family to light a candle for the trapped miners, at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Greymouth. 29 of 45 IAIN MCGREGOR/The Press Churchgoers at a service for friends and family of the trapped miners, at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Greymouth. 30 of 45 IAIN MCGREGOR/The Press Children at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Greymouth light candles for the trapped miners. 31 of 45 MARTIN HUNTER Family members of the 29 miners and contractors after a meeting with mine management on Saturday morning. 32 of 45 MARTIN HUNTER Family members of the 29 miners and contractors after a meeting with mine management on Saturday morning. 33 of 45 MARTIN HUNTER Family members of the 29 miners and contractors go to a meeting with mine management. 34 of 45 BRENDON O'HARE/Fairfax Media John Key prepares to board an airforce plane to travel to Greymouth and the scene of the Pike River coal mine explosion. 35 of 45 Blair Sims, making the tackle, has been named as one of those trapped in the mine. 36 of 45 AP WAITING: Relatives of the miners and contractors trapped in the Pike River Mine leave a meeting after being briefed by mine management in Greymouth. 37 of 45 AP REMOTE ROAD: A signboard of the access road leading to the Pike River mine where miners are trapped underground in Greymouth. 38 of 45 MARTIN HUNTER/Sunday Star-Times A file photo of a portal in the Pike River Coal mine. 39 of 45 AMY GLASS/The Press The police cordon near the Pike River Mine where miners are missing after an explosion. 40 of 45 SIMON BAKER A Pike River Coal company vehicle sits at the closest safe point to the entrance of the mine where 29 workers were trapped inside after an explosion. 41 of 45 SIMON BAKER The entrance to the Pike River Coal mine where 29 workers were trapped after an explosion. 42 of 45 Pike River Coal A file photo of the construction of a tunnel in the mine. 43 of 45 Site of the Pike River Coal mine. 44 of 45 A diagram of the Pike River Coal mine. 45 of 45 A diagram of the Pike River Coal mine.

Miner Zen Drew's father said he had accepted his son is dead.

Flanked by son Terry, partner Mandy and wearing 21-year-old Zen's jacket, Lawrie Drew told CloseUp that because he was "in tune" with Zen, he had accepted he was dead before this afternoon's explosion.



Despite that, he had still been hoping for a miracle.



"We just want our loved ones so we can get closure now and then let the process take course," he said.



The families had been clapping just before Pike River Coal chief executive Peter Whittall told them the bad news as they believed progress was being made.



"... then he hushed us up and told us the bomb shell," Mr Drew said.



Most families had "lost it", shouting and asking why rescuers had not gone into the mine on Friday night.



Mr Drew said he felt like he had failed his son because he had been unable to protect him.



He accused the mine of being unsafe and said he wanted an inquiry and to see "the truth come out".

The brother of lost miner Conrad Adams said he just wanted his brother to come home.

1 of 21 JOSEPH RAY DUNBAR: 17, Greymouth. The youngest of the miners. The day of the explosion was his first day working underground. 2 of 21 JOHN LEONARD HALE: 45, Ruatapu. Lived in neighbouring house to partner Brenda Rackley on the outskirts of Hokitika. Hale was a contractor for Chris Yeats Builders. 3 of 21 SAMUEL PETER MACKIE: 26, Greymouth. 4 of 21 WILLIAM JOHN JOYNSON: 49, Dunollie, Australia. An experienced underground miner who worked for many years in the Burgowan mines at Howard, near Bundaberg. His wife and two children live in Queensland. 5 of 21 TERRY DAVID KITCHIN: 41, Rununga. Has three children under the age of 10. 6 of 21 ANDREW DAVID HURREN: 32, Hokitika. A keen hunter and fisherman, known as Huck to his friends. 7 of 21 DANIEL THOMAS HERK: 36, Runanga. Grew up between Greymouth and Hokitika and has done a lot of mine work, his grandfather says. 8 of 21 GLEN PETER CRUSE: 35, Cobden. Grew up in Greymouth. Leaves a partner and two children. 9 of 21 RIKI STEVE KEANE: 28, Greymouth. First five-eighth for the Blaketown Rugby Football Club, one of three club members to perish in the mine. 10 of 21 KEITH THOMAS VALLI: 62, Winton. The oldest of the 29 miners. 11 of 21 PETER O'NEILL: 55, Runanga. Member of a well known mining family and keen lawn bowler. 12 of 21 RICHARD BENNETT HOLLING: 41, Blackball. Grew up in Christchurch and is the first of his family to go down a mine. 13 of 21 DAVID MARK HOGGART: 33, Foxton. 14 of 21 JACOBUS ALBERTUS JONKER: 47, Cobden, South Africa. 15 of 21 STUART MUDGE: 31, Runanga. Orginally from Whangarei. His dad said working in the mine gave Stuart an "outlet for his energy". 16 of 21 MICHAEL MONK: 23, Greymouth. Rugby rep for the West Coast. Had a long-term girlfriend. Son of hotelier Bernie Monk and West Coast netball rep and coach Cath Monk. 17 of 21 JOSH UFER: 25, Middlemount, Queensland, Australia. Ufer's fiancee, Rachelle Weaver, is three months pregnant. 18 of 21 BEN ROCKHOUSE: 21, Greymouth. The younger brother of coal miner Daniel Rockhouse, 24, who was one of only two men to escape the mine. 19 of 21 CHRIS DUGGAN: 31, Greymouth. 20 of 21 PETE RODGER: 40, Greymouth. From Perth, Scotland, and lived in New Zealand with his girlfriend. 21 of 21 MALCOLM CAMPBELL: 25, Greymouth. Was due to marry Kiwi fiancee Amanda on December 18. Originally from St Andrews in Fife, Scotland.

"Conrad Adams is down the mine and he's my brother. It's just a terrible thing to have to think about. He's my brother and he's got two children he loves more than anything in the world. And his mother. And he has a sister whose very dear to him. He's an uncle, he's a brother-in-law and we just all want him to come home,'' Clayton Adams said.

His older brother Conrad was extremely popular on the coast, Clayton said. ``He's a huge presence, I guess, in my life. We've met people throughout the last couple of days and they say, 'I know your brother. Everyone knows Conrad. I had a laugh with him just the other day','' he said.

'A NATIONAL TRAGEDY'

Prime Minister John Key said the country would be devastated by the "national tragedy".



"To lose this many brothers at once strikes an agonising blow."

Key confirmed a rescue team was preparing to go into the mine just before the second explosion ripped through it at 2.37pm.

Grey District mayor Tony Kokshoorn broke down as he left the family briefing.

"They told us there was a massive explosion and there was no way there were any survivors.

"We thought we were going to get some good news."

He said family members dropped to the floor after hearing the news, with many angry at how police had handled the operation.

"They just dropped to the floor. It's anger, as simple as that."

"It's just gut-wrenching. This is our darkest hour."

Kokshoorn said for days there had been discussion among locals that the safest time to enter a mine was straight after an explosion.

He said the second explosion was "far bigger than the first".

"What we've got is a very angry group of families."

He said it appeared a lethal mixture of gases had ignited the mine.

"It doesn't get worse than this ... this is the West Coast's darkest hour."

He said it was time for families and locals to "concentrate on the people we've lost".

RECOVERY PROMISE

Pike River CEO Peter Whittall reassured families of the victims that the company would do what it could to recover bodies.

"I still want them back and their families want them back and we'll be doing everything we can to make that happen.

''My love and support are with those guys,'' he said.

The families are ''absolutely devastated by the news".

''They had all held out hope that their son, their brother would be the lucky one,'' he said.

His voice cracked as he said, "I'm unlikely to see my workmates again".

Whittall delivered the news to family in person. One of the first men who came up to him was a father and he gave him a big hug and said he did ''everything he could".

''It was hard. They've looked to me for hope...

"I've got a lot of respect for the families I've been working with for the last five days. They've been very supportive of us. We've tried to be as supportive of them as we could. They've got a terrible, terrible thing to deal with now.

"As you can imagine, they are absolutely devastated by the news. They've all held out hope that it was their son or their husband or their brother that would be the lucky one, they've all held that hope out, but I have to say that probably all are feeling that that hope is now gone."

They will continue to monitor gas to see if they can re-enter the mine.

''We've still got 29 men in there and we've got to get them out.''

THE VICTIMS

Conrad John Adams, Malcolm Campbell, Glen Peter Cruse, Allan John Dixon, Zen Wodin Drew, Christopher Peter Duggan, Joseph Ray Dunbar, John Leonard Hale, Daniel Thomas Herk, David Mark Hoggart, Richard Bennett Holling, Andrew David Hurren, Jacobus (Koos) Albertus Jonker, William John Joynson, Riki Steve Keane, Terry David Kitchin, Samuel Peter Mackie, Francis Skiddy Marden, Michael Nolan Hanmer Monk, Stuart Gilbert Mudge, Kane Barry Nieper, Peter O'Neill, Milton John Osborne, Brendan John Palmer, Benjamin David Rockhouse, Peter James Rodger, Blair David Sims, Joshua Adam Ufer, Keith Thomas Valli.

» Click here for profiles of the miners

SECOND EXPLOSION

Whittall said large volumes of smoke came out from underground about 2.45pm.

He said the blast was larger than the first explosion. "It was not what I wanted to see."

It was very unlikely there could be any survivors, he said.

No rescue measures caused the explosion, he said. ''It came from somewhere up in the mine.''

Investigation head Superintendent Gary Knowles said the large explosion happened at 2.37pm.

They were now going into recovery mode.

It was one of the most horrific things he has had to deal with as a policeman.

"We had to break the news to the family and they are extremely distraught.

"I was at the mine myself when the explosion occurred. The blast was horrific. Just as severe as the first blast - and we are now moving into a recovery mode."

SPECIAL INQUIRY

Chief coroner Judge Neil McLean today announced he would open a special inquiry into the Pike River coalmine deaths.

McLean is in Auckland today for a conference of coroners from around Asia and the Pacific.

Police Commissioner Howard Broad tonight defended the rescue operation, saying criticism of Superintendent Gary Knowles, who headed it, was completely unjustified.

Broad said Knowles had led "an extremely professional and thoroughly detailed operation''.

"Superintendant Gary Knowles has had an extraordinarily difficult role, one of the most challenging police roles that I've seen encountered in my entire career.''

POLITICAL RESPONSE

Key expected a series of inquiries, including from police and the Labour Department, on top of a commission of inquiry.

He said Parliament would be suspended as a mark of respect for the "national tragedy" and flags would fly at half mast on Government buildings.



"After days of waiting ... they have been delivered the cruellest news.

"Like every New Zealander I hoped for that miracle in my heart of hearts."

Key will travel to Greymouth tomorrow morning.



Labour leader Phil Goff earlier called for Parliament to be suspended out of respect for the loss of life.

He expressed his "heartfelt sympathy" at the loss of life.

"This is a devastating shock for the families and the entire community. I want to extend my support and sympathy to those caught up in this terrible tragedy," Goff said.

"We know that Coasters are brave and resilient and will band together as they work through this terrible time. But the community should know that the entire country will be mourning alongside them."

He will travel to Greymouth tomorrow, as planned.