Police investigating one of New Zealand’s worst mining disasters in which two Scots lost their lives have said they may have found more human remains more than 12 years after the disaster.
Malcolm Campbell, 25, from St Andrews and fellow Scot Pete Rodger, 40, perished along with 27 colleagues when a methane gas explosion ripped through the Pike River mine in November 2010.
The bodies of the men have never been recovered and many of the families have been fighting to have the remains of their loved ones found ever since.
The government has previously ruled out re-entering the mine workings, deciding it was too dangerous and too expensive but police have now been able to identify the remains of up to eight men through images.
Last week officers said new imaging from the borehole drilling programme indicated the possibility of more human remains in the vicinity of borehole six.
Three families of the men believed to be working there at the time have now been contacted by police.
Detective Superintendent Darryl Sweeney said: “We recognise this is an incredibly difficult process for the families of the 29 men killed at Pike River.
“While we can’t say with any certainty that we’ve located human remains, we have shared what we’ve found as well as the pathologists’ conclusions. Our thoughts are with the families as they process this news.”
Malcolm’s parents, Malcolm senior and mum Jane Campbell, had been planning a trip to New Zealand in December 2010 to attend their son’s wedding.
However the couple were forced to make the journey weeks earlier when Malcolm, who was working as an engineer, was killed.
The remains of up to eight men have already been found through images taken from the boreholes in November and December 2021 and March 2022.
Of the eight, police said four were definite, two were probable and two were possible remains.
Police are drilling 10 new boreholes into the mine after previously putting cameras down nine.
One of the families shown images last week was Bernie Monk and his wife Kath whose son Michael was killed.
The Sunday Mail understands they were shown an image of remains taken from deep inside the mine where their son Michael was believed to be working when it exploded on November 19, 2010.
The photo showed clothing and equipment that tallied with it being a body.
Bernie said: “Kath is very emotional. The pictures are ultra clear.
“For me, it does not help me move on.
“I’m moving forward [but] I’m a long way from finishing what I set out to do. We deserve these men home.”
Two pathologists who viewed the image could not say definitively if it was human remains.
A Royal Commission Inquiry in 2012 found a catalogue of safety failings and ongoing problems with gas and ventilation but no one has been prosecuted.
An investigation into the disaster is ongoing with the families of the victims hoping it will lead to criminal charges.
Police are expected to finish their borehole drilling programme later this month with a decision about charges by the end of the year.
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