Crews in New Zealand have reentered an underground coal mine for the first time since a methane explosion killed 29 workers more than eight years ago, raising hopes among family members that they might find bodies and evidence that leads to criminal charges.
Anna Osborne, whose husband Milton was killed in the explosion, said Tuesday the families had been fighting for this day ever since the mine blew up. She said it was moving and overwhelming to watch people go back in.
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Two workers escaped the mine after the deadly November 2010 explosion. After several more explosions, the mine was sealed shut.
New Zealand’s previous conservative government concluded the mine remained too unsafe to reenter. But the liberal government elected in 2017 reexamined the issue and allowed reentry to proceed.
