The Pike River Mine is a coal mine located on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It was developed to extract high-quality coking coal, primarily for export. The mine began operations in 2008 and was known for its underground mining techniques. In November 2010, a tragic explosion occurred at the mine, resulting in the deaths of 29 miners. This incident led to significant changes in mining safety regulations in New Zealand. The mine has since been sealed, and recovery efforts for the miners were halted due to safety concerns.