Rescuers set to enter New Zealand mine before 2nd blast

GREYMOUTH, New Zealand - Rescue teams were in full gear and ready to begin searching for 29 missing miners when toxic gas levels suddenly increased touching off an explosion that dashed all hopes of a rescue, a lost miner's brother and police said today.

Prime Minister John Key declared the disaster a national tragedy, and across New Zealand today flags flew at half-staff and many churches held services for people wanting to show respect for the miners.

Yesterday's massive explosion deep inside the mine on South Island came five days after the men were caught underground by a similar blast and only hours after rescuers reported their first progress in the rescue attempt. A drilling team broke a narrow shaft through to the mine section believed to be holding the missing workers and two robots had crawled their way into the tunnel.

"She was all go," said Geoff Valli whose brother Keith, 62, perished in the mine. "There was going to be more than one or two [rescuers involved]" in the rescue bid. "They explained just how close they were to going in. It was bloody scary. It could have been so much worse," he told National Radio.

But when toxic and explosive gas levels suddenly worsened, the first attempt to enter the mine since last Friday's initial blast was scrapped.

Even in the unlikely event that any one had survived the first one, police said no one could have lived through the second.

The grieving families, the company and political leaders have all pledged to retrieve the bodies of the missing men. - AP