A man has been taken to hospital with a suspected back injury following a partial building collapse on the outskirts of Pike River Mine.
The Fire Service and St John Ambulance were sent to the site this morning following reports of an accident at the mine's 'bath house'. The building sits just inside the gate to the West Coast property and is around 9km from the mine itself.
A WorkSafe New Zealand spokesperson says the ordeal is "construction related" and was reportedly part of a planned demolition. An inspector is heading to the site to begin an investigation.
"It appears part of the structure has fallen onto a worker. The worker is reportedly associated with the new owner of the building," they said.
A police spokesperson confirmed the worker had been taken to hospital with a suspected back injury. St John Ambulance was alerted at 8:51am and an ambulance was dispatched to the scene, but was unable to confirm the patient's condition.
The bodies of 29 men are still entombed inside the mine following an explosion five years ago.
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