The control room operator who lost his brother at Pike River Mine was speaking with the men underground in the event the explosion occurred along with the intercom system might have recorded the blast.
A transcript of your recording with the intercom system presented on the royal commission of inquiry in Greymouth yesterday morning signifies that since the minutes passed, Daniel Duggan became increasingly worried and frustrated: "Anyone underground? Anyone?" he contacted vain, the court heard.
Many wept as his evidence was read.
Mr Duggan, whose brother Chris was one of several 29 victims, was speaking with the men just before 3.45pm, when he was told scheduled maintenance ended up done, and the man was asked to restart the lake pumps.
He did this, and referred to as miners back to notify them the water was ever coming back on, so they could recommence mining.
Someone, probably fitter Malcolm Campbell, answered then again alarms discontinued and communication was lost.
Noise could be heard within the recording (which was not played in court); Mr Duggan said he would not notice the noise on the day.
"Hello sparkies?" Mr Duggan asked. Merely the control room alarms may be heard.
There was clearly a 45-second gap, with no response. He asked again. He waited, then tried to phone men he knew were working on the hydro panel with the coal face.
Then more alarms might be heard, and Mr Duggan swears in worry and frustration.
"Anyone underground? Anyone?"
There were no communication underground in any way.
Immediately after, he told someone: "I have an extremely bad feeling about this."
Mine manager Doug White said to not call Mines Rescue yet. Electrician Mattheus Strydom then went underground and reported there had been a great time.
Mr Duggan immediately called Mines Rescue, then an ambulance. At that stage, 1 hour later, that they not been told by anyone underground.
Earlier yesterday, the commission been told by safety training co-ordinator Adrian Couchman who went in the mine some day ahead of the blast as he was filming shot-firing for any video.
His evidence is important as he was the past to determine the self-rescue and fire boxes. Images filmed underground after the November 19 explosion show one box is open.
There has been considerable debate that box along with a possible body part lying in front of it.
It has triggered speculation someone could possibly have survived the blast, or has been reaching for firefighting equipment.
Mr Couchman's evidence suggested outside box was prone to be described as a self-rescue box, using the fire box behind it.
He was quoted saying two phones weren't working - one at pit-bottom, and one at the decommissioned oxygen base, the place that the air vent has also been not working.
The hearing continues.
Transcript
Daniel Duggan turned water pumps back on and rang underground to convey mining could resume:
Duggan: "Hello, ABM or road header."
Reply from underground: (8 seconds later) "Hello Dan, which team you trying to find?"
Duggan: (3 seconds later): "Control, soon after the ABM and road header."
(Noise from an unidentified source)
Duggan: (13 seconds later): "Hello sparkies."
(Alarms audible inside control room without anyone's knowledge)
Duggan: (44 seconds later): "Hello underground, any sparkies?"
Duggan: (50 seconds later): "Hello, a monitor place."
(Alarms audible in the background)
Duggan: (70 seconds later): "No (expletive) is ringing."
(Alarms still audible in background)
Duggan: (8 seconds later): "Hello, anyone underground."
Duggan: (25 seconds later): "Hello. Monitor place, anyone underground, anyone?"



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