Tragedy at Pike River Mine: How and Why 29 Men Died

(Paperback)

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Updated Edition 2021 This new edition contains a completely up-to-date timeline. Nearly 20,000 copies sold 9th reprint - back in print by popular demand Winner of four major awards Brilliantly written by award-winning journalist Rebecca Macfie 'Devastating account of a needless tragedy' - Otago Daily Times 'Lucid, exhaustive, enraging' - New Zealand Listener 'Compelling account of what went wrong' - Weekend Herald 'Highly readable, sometimes shocking' - The Press 'Compulsory reading for directors, managers and business students' - Newsroom On a sunny afternoon in November 2010, in the beautiful Paparoa Range of the South Island, a massive explosion rocked an underground coal mine. Later that day two ashen men stumbled from the entrance. Twenty-nine men remained unaccounted for. Initial probes revealed fatally high methane levels in the mine - conditions deemed unsurvivable for the trapped men. But it was only after a second blast five days later that all hope was extinguished. Tragedy at Pike River Mine is a dramatic, superbly researched and page-turning account of a disaster that should never have happened, of the dramatic political and legal fallout, and the effect on the small West Coast community. It reveals an appalling string of mistakes, from consent being given for the mine in the first place, to lack of proper monitoring equipment, pressure to ignore safety requirements, and effectively only a single exit. It puts a human face on the people who suffered, and provides penetrating insight on who's to blame. This is an essential read for everyone who cares about the future of New Zealand and our values as a nation. Rebecca Macfie's writing on Pike River has been hailed for its veracity, perspicacity and powerful human interest.

Reviews

'A devastating account of a needless tragedy. Macfie capably dissects the corporate culture, explains the mine environment, and deals compassionately with the personal stories of the victims, and the loved ones they left behind. This book is a must-read for all those who find it incomprehensible how such an event can occur in the 21st century in our supposedly developed, modern nation' --Victor Billot, Otago Daily Times

'An astonishingly good book - hard to put down, brilliant. ... If there is one book you need to read when it comes to corporate negligence, this is it' --Duncan Garner, RadioLive Drive

'At its heart, the Pike River disaster is a business story, and its full telling needed a business journalist of Rebecca Macfie's experience and acumen. Her account is complex yet highly readable, and sometimes shocking' --Philip Matthews, The Press

'Credit is due to Rebecca Macfie for her book Tragedy at Pike River Mine. The investigation makes compelling reading and illustrates the power of journalism in book form' --John Drinnan, The New Zealand Herald

'If you've already read accolades for this book, they're all deserved and then some. Macfie digs through a mountain of information to deliver a compelling account of what went wrong at Pike River' --Jim Eagles and Mark Fryer, Weekend Herald

'Journalist Rebecca Macfie's research is relentless and her writing style is easily accessible. She creates a palpable sense of urgency and anticipation, despite the fact readers already know the outcome' --Ellen Read, The Sunday Star-Times

'Macfie gets to the heart of a complex and detailed story without losing or confusing her audience. ... Lucid, exhaustive, enraging' --Guy Somerset, New Zealand Listener

'Macfie's powerful narrative brings a new, refreshing, insightful voice to tell a tale of corporate failure, and the men who paid the price' --Laura Mills, Greymouth Evening Star

'Rebecca Macfie has done the country a service in bringing this complex, drawn-out story so clearly to light. At its most banal it's a page-turner. ... And her prose is a perfect example of Orwell's gold standard for good writing: as clear as a window pane. ... Macfie's work in laying down another plank in this sorry history deserves not just a prize but a medal' --Jane Westaway, New Zealand Books

'Should be compulsory reading for every director, manager and student of business in this country. The book leaves you in no doubt this was an accident waiting to happen.... The question you are left with is why, in the modern age, a workplace can turn into a death trap... The book is compelling, thorough and at the same time harrowing' --Andrew Patterson, RadioLive Business

Author Bio

REBECCA MACFIE has received more than 20 awards. Her latest book Helen Kelly- Her Life (Awa Press, 2021) has been acclaimed as a searing modern history. She is a freelance writer for North & South, Newsroom and other publications. Over a 33-year career in journalism, she has worked for New Zealand Listener, New Zealand Herald's The Business, Unlimited, and National Business Review and The Christchurch Star, and also written for The Independent Business Weekly, Safeguard and Employment Law Bulletin.