Pike River; it's not looking good

The mood seems to have taken a decidedly sombre trun at Pike River coal mine today. The police have conceded that it is likely that there have been fatalities, and have released a security video to the media - have a read of this, from Stuff:

Dramatic footage of a massive 52-second-long gas explosion has been shown to families of trapped West Coast coal miners.

Grey District mayor Tony Kokshoorn said the video of the explosion clip had made a significant impact on the families.

"It wasn't nice. There was a huge amount of force coming out of the front of the mine and it went for 52 seconds.

"It was continuous and the frightening thing is, it was probably up to 2.5km from the source. We are talking about what was being blown out of the exterior mine mouth. It's a shame - it was considerable force.

At a press conference currently underway Superintendent Gary Knowles said the likelihood of a rescue was diminishing. "The situation is bleak, it is grave", he said.

This is the first mention we've heard of the existence of a security video. We wonder now when the police first became aware of it. We're still at work, and won't get home until later tonight, so we are unsure if it has been shown in the news. But it all sounds grim.

UPDATE: As we were typing this, DPF has posted a link to the video courtesy of 3News. It's incredibly sobering and moving to watch what is quite likely the last moments of the 29 miners' lives. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with their families and friends.