Blast Injures Three Miners

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31463, 1 September 1967, Page 1

Blast Injures Three Miners

(New Zealand Press Association)

INVERCARGILL, August 31.

Three hard-rock miners were injured in an explosion at the face of the Deep Cove tail-race tunnel early today.

Two of the miners were evacuated by the Mallard amphibian aircraft to Invercargill and are now at Kew Hospital. The third man is being treated in the hospital on board the hostel ship Wanganella. In Kew Hospital are: Mr

Frederick Hans Albert Schultz, aged 34, and Mr Silvia Coppe, aged 27, both of whom are suffering from head and leg injuries. Their condition is not serious.

The third man, Mr Peter Mazreka, is being treated for minor facial abrasions and shock. His condition is satisfactory. There was no, damage to equipment at the face of the tunnel and drilling work has been resumed.

A spokesman for the Bechtel Pacific Corporation at Deep Cove said that the explosion occurred when drilling was resumed at 6 a.m. Small Explosion

It was a very small explosion and rock about 12in in diameter had been blasted out.

The spokesman said the main shot at the tunnel face had been fired, and the mucking machines had moved forward to clear out the spoil from the shot

The men and the drilling rig had moved forward, and drilling for the next shot started when a charge'left over from the main pattern exploded. The spokesman said such mishaps were termed “misfires” and were underground construction hazards. The explosion is being investigated by the Inspector of Mines, Mr W. McConachie.