Folks In Greymouth Asking Questions

Bitterness emerging:

West Coasters are stoic and they know mining and the problems posed in these particularly gassy Paparoa Range mines - and no one wants harm to come to the rescuers when they do go in.

But rumblings of discontent are emerging among some of the townsfolk we spoke to, that after four days rescuers still had not been into the Pike River coal mine to bring out the 29 men considered family by just about everyone in this tight-knit town of about 8000 people.

..."It wouldn't have happened in the old days," said a middle-aged man in blue overalls who works in refrigeration.

His father was in the Strongman mine, not far away, when it was rocked by an explosion in 1967, killing 19.

Many of them are buried at the town cemetery only streets away from the quiet main drag.

No one mucked around at Strongman, the man said, they went straight in to look for survivors.

..."Today, the police are responsible for decisions about when to go in - in the old days, they weren't, he said.

"The miners just went in. They were their own people back then.

..."And in come the other guys, 'cause they knew there was something wrong so they rushed in; there was no proper breathing gear back then.

..."Four days under an air pocket, 29 people, big ask. Big ask."