The father of a builder killed in the Pike River explosion in 2010 says he's got evidence about what went wrong in the mine when it exploded twice within a matter of days.
Bernie Monk, who lost his son Michael 10 years ago, this morning told TVNZ1's Breakfast families haven't gone public with the information as they didn't want to interfere with the police investigation into the disaster.
Ten years ago today, 29 men were killed in the Pike River explosion on the West Coast. Two people made it out of the mine alive.
Those killed included fathers, sons, miners, and contractors - and they're all still entombed there. But work underground is currently going ahead as experts re-enter the mine to see if victims' remains can be recovered.
Recovery Agency boss Dinghy Pattinson told Breakfast's John Campbell crews had safely made it 2159.5 metres into the mine.
Twenty-nine men died after an explosion in the mine on November 19, 2010.
Last month, Pike Recovery Agency CEO Dave Gawn said human remains was yet to be found, but he hadn't given up hope.
At the time, he said the team was working through debris from the explosion which showed how far material has been propelled up the tunnel, where many of the men were waiting to finish their shift.
Gawn said the recovery operation was expected to be finished by this Christmas.
But it's been a long time for families - 10 years and two investigations.
Monk today said they're still frustrated but aren't giving up the fight.
"You've got to realise that the people that we've got on the ground here that have been helping us in this last year have got the evidence, have got the reason for what happened," he said.
"It's taken us one year to get it, of which it's taken the police, it's taken the Department of Labour and all those sort of people 10 years to get and we've got it in one year.
"We haven't come public on this because we do not want to interfere with the police investigation and that's why we haven't gone public on this, and I hope they realise that because we're honest Coasters but I don't think we're getting treated that way."
The recovery boss is still hopeful they may recover remains of some of the 29 men who perished.
Monk's son wasn't a miner or an expert on working in mines. He was a builder and relied on the mine's management and authorities that Pike River was safe.
"They didn't do it, they did not do their job and that's so frustrating with all the things that we're doing in the last 10 years to make that happen, to make people accountable, to make them come to justice and tell the truth to what happened to Pike River," Monk said.
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