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Tasman District police Superintendent Gary Knowles told One News late Friday the sampling of air quality in the mine was "unsuitable" for a rescue attempt and the slightest chance of a spark could be disastrous.

"This is not Chile. It's a whole different type of mine", he said, referring to the rescue last month of 33 coal miners in Chile trapped underground for 69 days. Knowles said full rescue measures would begin Sunday.

The explosion blamed on methane gas jolted the mine Friday afternoon on New Zealand's South Island, 160 miles west of Christchurch.

There has been no contact with the miners, the New Zealand Herald News said.

The missing workers range in age from a 17 to 62, the BBC said.

Pike River Mine chief Peter Whittall told a news conference there was a supply of water in the mine, but the structure of the mine negated the possibility of funneling supplies down, the report said.

Two miners escaped the blast that happened about 5,000 feet underground, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. said.

Among countries offering tactical support, the Chilean government offered to help in the rescue effort, The Guardian newspaper said.

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