Suspected mine gas leak prompts evacuation

Emergency services staff gather near the Kai Point Coal mine in Kaitangata yesterday afternoon....
Emergency services staff gather near the Kai Point Coal mine in Kaitangata yesterday afternoon. The site was cordoned off from Berry St after a suspected gas leak. A very low concentration of methane was detected. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON
Staff were evacuated from a coal mine in the Clutha district after a suspected leak of methane gas yesterday.

About four Kai Point Coal employees in Kaitangata were evacuated after reports of people feeling unwell shortly after noon.

Work at the site stopped and staff left during the afternoon.

Ambulance services were not needed.

The mine is opencast and produces about 55,000 tonnes of coal a year.

A small amount of methane was detected by firefighting crews.

Kaitangata Deputy Chief Fire Officer Dwayne Thompson said workers at the site had earlier noticed an odour.

Kaitangata, Balclutha and St Kilda fire crews attended the incident, along with a command unit from Dunedin, Mr Thompson said.

The Balclutha crew had a gas detector.

A very low concentration of methane had been detected, he said.

A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman said yesterday evening the site had been handed back to the coal company.

The Kai Point Coal Company was started by the late George Cross and incorporated in 1951.

At the company’s Balclutha office yesterday afternoon, company director Blair Cross said he was awaiting information about the incident.

 

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