WELLINGTON, (Reuters) – More than a decade following one of the worst industrial catastrophes in New Zealand, police announced Wednesday that human remains were found inside a New Zealand coal mining facility.

Ninety-eight men were killed in a series explosions caused by methane gas that ripped through Pike River’s mine, west coast of South Island. It happened November 2010, Two people managed to escape.

Safety concerns meant that the mine was closed and no entry allowed for many years. After many requests from families of miners, investigators were finally allowed to access the mine in 2019.

Two bodies were confirmed by police, and another could have been found by officers during the deep boring operation. The remains could not be found because they were too far away from the mine entrance.

Peter Read, Detective Superintendent said “While it was not possible to identify the remains but we are working closely with forensic specialists to confirm their identities.”

He said that investigators think there may have been six to eight persons working in the vicinity where the remains were discovered.