Raw grief as miners' families told: Your men are all dead

Peter Rodger, 40, from Perth, and Malcolm Campbell, 25, from St Andrews in Fife, were among 29 workers trapped after the first blast on Friday.

Relatives waiting by the mine, near Pike River, broke down as police said they now have no hope of finding the men alive.

Friends in St Andrews said Mr Campbell's family - including his father, who had begged rescuers to "step over the line" to get his son out - were too "raw" to speak about their loss. His son had been due to marry fiance Amanda Shields, 23, in Greymouth, near Pike River, on 18 December.

John Daniel, 59, from Perth, Scotland, who lived next door to Mr Rodger before he moved to New Zealand, said: "It's a terrible waste. We just can't get his smiling face out of our minds.

"He was an excellent neighbour. He was working away a lot on the rigs and I was working away overseas at times and we used to look after each other's houses.

"He always had a cheerful word for you. He was great."

Mr Rodger, a former pupil of Perth Grammar, emigrated to New Zealand two years ago to be closer to his mother, Linda Duncan, and sister, Lorraine Lowe. He met a local woman, Dianne Morris, and started work at the mine as a mechanic in April.

Ian Jones, rector of Madras College in St Andrews, where Mr Campbell was a former pupil, said: "There's an air of despondency around the school and our sympathies lie with Malcolm's parents, his fiance and his family at this very difficult time.

"Staff will remember Malcolm as a very friendly, very cheerful boy, hard-working. He has been described to me by a couple of members of staff as a very genuine person. He was very well liked by pupils and by staff and very well respected by the whole community."

The Queen led tributes to the miners yesterday, with the Prince of Wales and Prince William also sending messages of condolence to New Zealand prime minister John Key, who described his country as "a nation in mourning".

The Queen, who had been receiving hourly updates since Friday, said: "I am deeply saddened by today's news that there is now no hope for the men trapped in the Pike River mine. My heart goes out to the families and friends of these 29 brave miners and to all who have been touched by this national disaster.

"At this sad and difficult time my thoughts and prayers are with you all."

The Prince of Wales said: "Our hearts go out to them, and to all the people of New Zealand, at such a desperately difficult time of anguish."

Prince William, who visited New Zealand earlier this year, added: "I send to the families and friends of these courageous miners my deepest and most heartfelt sympathy.

"To the people of New Zealand, I would say how much you are in my thoughts and prayers at this time of national tragedy."

First Minister Alex Salmond said: "I have written to the Prime Minister of New Zealand expressing the deep condolences of the people of Scotland to the families of all the men who are now believed to be dead, and to the families of Peter Rodger and Malcolm Campbell.

"This tragedy has a deep resonance with the people of Scotland, and we extend our deepest sympathies to all affected."

During Prime Minister's Question time yesterday, David Cameron said: "It is immensely sad what has happened. I spoke to New Zealand prime minister John Key this morning and our thoughts, I know in the whole House, will be with the 29 miners who lost their lives and their families, and particularly Peter Rodger from Perth and Malcolm Campbell from St Andrews."

The missing miners, aged between 17 and 62, carried 30 minutes' supply of oxygen, and more fresh air was stored in the mine, along with food and water. But all hope faded following news of the second blast.

Two workers stumbled out of the mine within hours of Friday's explosion but there was no contact with the remaining group of men, which included 24 New Zealanders, two Australians and a South African.

Rescue teams had been unable to enter the mine because of high levels of toxic gases.

Superintendent Gary Knowles said: "Today there was another massive explosion underground and based on that explosion no one would have survived. We are now in recovery mode."

Patrick Foster, a senior lecturer in mining engineering at the Camborne School of Mines, part of the University of Exeter, said: "Positively the decision not to send rescuers in has been vindicated. If they had gone in it would have been far worse."