THE mother of a Scot who died in a mining explosion has said she will give any compensation to other families affected by the disaster after a court awarded relatives payouts of £57,000 each.
Jane Campbell's son, Malcolm, was killed alongside fellow Scot Pete Rodger and 27 other men when a blast caused by a build-up of methane gas ripped through the mine in New Zealand run by Pike River Coal three years ago.
Judges in the country, who earlier this year ruled that the company was guilty of breaching safety guidelines that would have prevented the tragedy, yesterday ordered the payouts to all families of the 29 men killed in the tragedy, and to two men who survived.
However, it is unlikely the money will ever be handed over as the company is now in receivership.
Malcolm Campbell, 25, and Mr Rodger, 40, died along with their colleagues, aged between 17 to 62, when the explosion left them trapped in the South Island mine, which filled with deadly gases.
A second explosion further destabilised the mine and it has been deemed unsafe to recover the men's bodies. The accident, on November 19, 2010, was New Zealand's worst mining disaster in almost a century.
Mrs Campbell, of St Andrews, Fife, said that she would not want to keep any of the money in the unlikely event of compensation being paid out.
She said: "I don't think it's going to happen because there's not any money left in the company. And even if there was I wouldn't want it. There's families out there in New Zealand who lost their breadwinner in the disaster and who need it more than we do. How can you put a figure on a man's life?"
She said the compensation offer was another hurdle and nothing would bring her son back.
Mrs Campbell intends to return to New Zealand with her husband, also called Malcolm, after forging friendships with the other families caught up in the disaster.
She said: "We will go back because it is where Malcolm is. Next time we'd like to see more of the country and find out why he had decided it was the place where he was going to live."
Last year, an investigation found the blast was caused by a methane gas explosion.
The report called for a regulator to focus on health and safety and for mining regulations to be updated.
Speaking yesterday at a hearing in Greymouth, on South Island, Judge Jane Parish said: "There were many indicators that the mine was in a potential explosive position but the warning signs were not noted or heeded.
"It is clear there is significant psychological and emotional trauma ongoing for the families of the miners who were killed and also those for the two men survived. The victim impact statements were harrowing."
Peter Whittall, the former chief executive of Pike River Coal, faces a separate trial. He has pled not guilty to 12 charges.
Australian Bernie Monk, the father of Michael Monk who died in the mine, said the families had suffered emotionally and financially since the disaster.
"Compensation is vital for some of them, but whether they get any will be another thing," he said.
Mr Monk added that he was pleased to see the two survivors, Daniel Rockhouse and Russell Smith, included in the compensation order.
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