Agency Report

Eleven years after a New Zealand mine disaster claimed 29 lives, investigators on Wednesday said they had found the remains of at least two of the victims but were unlikely to launch a recovery operation.

The 2010 Pike River Mine disaster was one of New Zealand’s worst industrial accidents, shocking the nation and prompting multiple recovery attempts and a charged criminal investigation.

The disaster is believed to have been caused by a blast triggered by a methane build-up.

Only two of the 31 miners on the afternoon shift were able to make their way out.

Tunnel collapses have all but ended efforts to recover the bodies or gain more evidence about the disaster.