Drilling on a new borehole into the Pike River coal mine is in its final stages, with 20m of the 162m tunnel to go.

The family of Aussie miner Willy Joynson is clinging to hope the father of two is still alive.

Rescuers plan to send a Defence Force robot into the Pike River coal mine where 29 miners remain trapped after an explosion on Friday, one gas levels drop.

nzherald.co.nz profiles the men trapped in the Pike River coal mine on the West Coast.

Pike River says equipment such as robots could create sparks in a gaseous environment.

Rescue workers, who have one of their own trapped in the Pike River coal mine, hope a hole being drilled in the mine tonight will reveal air samples allowing them to enter the mine.

There is a growing sense of despair among the families of the 29 miners who have been trapped at Pike River since Friday.

The hole being drilled by Pike River mine rescuers could allow the miners to communicate with people on the surface.

Families of the 29 men trapped in the Pike River coal mine near Greymouth on the West Coast are being taken to the site.

While residents gather and families worry, hospital staff and funeral directors prepare themselves for all scenarios.

International mining experts have raised concerns about safety issues at Pike River Coal which may have led to the explosion.

A second night passes with no word from the 29 trapped miners in the Pike River mine. Families cling to hope as experts fear the worst.

There will be no attempt to rescue 29 miners trapped in a West Coast mine tonight, with no further air quality sampling until tomorrow.

West Coasters went about their business today hoping for the best but painfully aware of the grim record of tragedies in mining.

Police say a bid to rescue or recover 29 miners trapped in a West Coast coal mine is on hold, and could begin at any time over the next two days.

He avoided yesterday's Pike River blast by minutes - now a miner waits for news of trapped workmates.

Rescue crews will face a number of challenges as they work towards accessing the area where 29 coal miners are believed to be trapped.

29 miners remain trapped underground after yesterday's blast at Pike River Coal's West Coat mine.

Cabinet ministers were last night travelling to the Pike River Mine, as the Government offered assistance in the rescue of the trapped miners.

The Herald's energy reporter, who has visited Pike River, reflects on the project's delays, and now disaster.

Methane gas has long been identified as a potential problem for the Pike River Coal mine, as rescuers scramble to find up to 27 missing miners.