A Scot killed when a series of devastating blasts ripped through the Pike River mine in New Zealand had spoken of being under “mega-pressure” prior to the catastrophe leading to fears safety took a back seat.
Malcolm Campbell from Cameron, near St Andrews, was one of 29 people killed in the disaster. Perth man Pete Rodger also perished.
An inquiry into the deaths is now under way and Malcolm’s father, also Malcolm, believes significant safety failings will be uncovered.
Question marks have already been raised over accessibility of escape routes in the doomed Pike River structure. New Zealand’s mining regulations relaxed in 1999 have also been described as lax.
Mr Campbell hopes the fresh inquiry will provide answers and help ensure nobody else is forced to endure the “torture” he and his family have faced.
“Malcolm had been working at the mine for some time prior to his death and when I spoke to him he told me the miners were under mega-pressure to get as much coal as possible out,” he told The Courier. “It was all about money and I think a few corners may have been cut when it came to safety.”
Mr Campbell pointed to reports suggesting escape routes were “inaccessible” and ventilation inadequate. In particular, one MP in New Zealand has claimed ladder exits would have been “impossible” to use due to the lack of associated safety platforms.
“The planning and design of the mine appears to have been flawed and that is something that is emerging through the inquiry,” Mr Campbell said. “Miners should always be as safe as possible and that may not have been the case at Pike River.
“I fear that safety took a back seat and I wonder how the mine ever got planning permission.”
Mr Campbell believes that, if safety was indeed compromised, those responsible must pay a high price.’Flawed'”At the end of the day, 29 people have died,” he said. “The miners put their faith in their managers and it looks like they may have been let down. I think it will be shown that safety was flawed … and if somebody has been negligent then they must be punished.”
Malcolm’s family are desperate to bring his body home so he can be laid to rest next to his beloved grandparents, who both passed away in the last year.
“I just hope nobody else has to go through the torture we have endured,” Mr Campbell said. “It has been horrendous and we have to hope that this inquiry will at least ensure nothing like this ever happens again.”
He continued, “It may be that mining regulations in New Zealand will have to be changed. In Australia the requirements are different mines have to have escape routes and proper tunnels. We don’t understand how the laws can be so different in New Zealand.”
Meanwhile, efforts to recover the bodies from the mine are continuing although it is a painfully slow process.
“We are still playing a waiting game to see if the first seal (inserted by recovery crews last month) has worked,” Mr Campbell explained. “If it has, they will go in a bit further and insert another seal. They are making progress but it is very slow.”
The Campbell family are continuing to raise funds toward the recovery costs. However, they appreciate that their son’s body may never be released.
“If they cannot recover the bodies we hope they seal the mine up at least that way all the guys will be together,” he added.