The sister of a Perth man killed in New Zealand’s Pike River Mine disaster has slammed the authorities which have still not apologised for his death.
Pete Rodger died more than two and a half years ago when a series of explosions ripped through the mine.
The 40-year-old’s body and those of 29 others including Fife man Malcolm Campbell, 25 have never been recovered.
Last week a court in New Zealand ordered Pike River Coal (PRC) to pay NZ$110,000 to each family affected but, because the company went into receivership shortly after the accident, the victims’ loved ones do not expect to ever see the cash.
Sickened by the latest twist in their quest for justice, Pete’s sister Lorraine Lowe contacted The Courier from New Zealand to speak out against the country’s Government and Pike River Coal.
“They disgust me with their politics, their roundabouts, their manoeuvring and their out-and-out lies,” she said. “No one has taken responsibility, no one has yet talked to our family directly, even to say that Pete is dead or that they are sorry.
“We have no idea what happened to Pete, how much he suffered before he died, whether he was waiting for help, sure that it would come, or whether he was scared and alone.
“The directors and owners of PRC may well live their millionaire-style lives but my hope is that if they do not own up to the responsibility of that fatal, toxic environment and tragedy, then they will pay by some other means.
“I remain angry, not vindicated or placated.”
Mr Campbell’s father Malcolm Sr dismissed the compensation orders and called for those responsible to face manslaughter charges.
Lorraine also called the payments of around £57,000 to each family “sickening”.
She said: “Judge Farish has been open about the issues involved in paying compensation to families but in awarding the paltry sums that she did, bearing in mind that a person has recently been paid $40,000 for the loss of a foot fairly, I believe then the sum of approximately NZ$110,000 is sickening by comparison, considering the situation and the fact that the men’s bodies have yet to be recovered.”
PRC, which was also fined NZ$760,000, said it can only afford to pay each family NZ$5,000.
The workers’ bodies are still in the sealed-up mine because it is considered too dangerous to retrieve them.
Former offshore worker Mr Rodger had moved to New Zealand to be closer to his parents and Lorraine and her family.