The father of New Zealand mine blast victim Malcolm Campbell says his family are “back on the rollercoaster” after it emerged the owners of the mine might renege on a commitment that could lead to the bodies of the tragic miners being recovered.
Malcolm, 25, from St Andrews, and Pete Rodger, 40, from Perth, died when a series of underground explosions ripped through the Pike River coal mine in November 2010.
It was confirmed last year the New Zealand Government had authorised search teams to enter the mine where 29 miners were killed.
Teams would try to access the main tunnel leading up to a rock fall and engineers had been confident of success.
But after taking part in a teleconference with the New Zealand authorities, Mr Campbell Sr said the family were dismayed to learn the mine’s owners, Solid Energy, had apparently changed their minds because they felt the project was too dangerous.
This, he said, was in spite of the New Zealand Government authorities and British mine rescue specialists maintaining that it was possible, and the New Zealand mayor urging the mine owners to “get on with the job”.
Mr Campbell, who believes the decision has been taken by the mine’s new owners purely on commercial grounds, told The Courier: “It’s been a rollercoaster that never ends for my wife and I, and here it is again.
“After nearly four years of teleconferences we had been told that Solid Energy were going to tell the families at the end of October their findings.
“However, on our latest teleconference… a journalist told us she had a meeting with Solid Energy and the feeling from them is that to go up to the drift will be a categorical ‘no’.
“They are insisting on a second egress or they won’t go ahead.
“But British experts and the New Zealand authorities do not think this is necessary.
“What maddens us and the other family members is that Solid Energy have not yet discussed this with the families. We think they are hiding and the reality is they do not think it is commercially viable.”