But the questions would have to wait until after the 29 miners missing in the mine are rescued.
"... we've got to concentrate on getting 29 miners out of the mine.
"But this is going to have massive repercussions somewhere, it's got to. There's got to be some answers here," he said yesterday.
This follows an acknowledgement by Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee on TVNZ's Q+A programme that there would be an inquiry into the disaster.
Mr Kokshoorn said the Health and Safety rules in New Zealand, resource consenting processes and "all those types of things are so stringent ... that you don't expect these types of explosions.
"We know they are inherent in coal mines, but you would think checks and balances would actually stop these situations."
Like many people on the West Coast, Mr Kokshoorn has had little sleep since the explosion in the Pike River mine.
"I'm with these people and we've just got to hang on ...
"We also know, deep down, that it gets tougher by the day and the chances become a hell of a lot more remote."
The policeman in charge of the Pike River mine recovery admits he has no idea how long it will be before a rescue can be attempted, but yesterday afternoon remained adamant it was still a rescue mission.
Tasman District police area commander Superintendent Gary Knowles told reporters gas samples were being taken from the mine every hour to determine whether levels were safe for rescuers to enter it.
The levels of methane, carbon monoxide and ethane yesterday continued to fluctuate.
"This is not a quick fix. We're into day two. We have no idea how long this will take but we are still focused on bringing these guys out," he said.
"This still remains a rescue operation.
"[But] I'm not prepared ... to have people go underground until we're 100% sure it's safe," Supt Knowles said.
Investigators fear there may be an underground fire and are urgently trying to establish how hot it is in the mine.
New Zealand Mines rescue general manager Trevor Watts said gas samples were showing "there may be something else occurring" but information was limited.
"The analysis at the moment is trying to determine if there is a fire in the mine at the moment," he said.
Mr Watts said rescuers were waiting to rescue their "brothers" underground - including one of their own mine rescue team members.
However, safety was paramount, as rescuers would be in the direct path if an explosion occurred.
"We have got to be certain that we are not going to compromise the safety of the miners we are trying to rescue and the rescue teams we will deploy underground," Mr Watts said.
Six five-men rescue teams are available, comprising mainly local people, supported by Huntly mine rescuers.
A seven-man team from New South Wales is also waiting in Christchurch if needed, and two Australian mine rescue officials are helping with planning.
Pike River chief executive Peter Whittall spent much of yesterday with the miners' families, taking them up to the mine site - as close as they can get to their loved ones.
"It was obviously quite an emotional thing for them to go up there, where their family is still underground, and obviously something that was very worthwhile for them, to be able to have a look at it, to see where they are, to see that the terms we are using, which are foreign to a lot of them ...
"Obviously, with nearly 48 hours gone by now, they're starting to be very concerned and want as much information as they can, and today has been very much about that."
Mr Whittall also spent time yesterday with Russell Smith (50) and Daniel Rockhouse (24), who escaped from the mine after the blast.
Both had spent a night in hospital and were now recovering with their families.
However, the nightmare continues for Mr Rockhouse as his brother, Ben, is one of the 29 men still underground.
