Some of the miners who resurfaced after being trapped underground at Sibanye Stillwater Mine on Gauteng’s far West Rand say they are relieved to have been brought to the surface.

About 260 mineworkers were trapped underground since Thursday at the mines Kloof 7 sub-shaft. This after an equipment failure caused debris to damage the main shaft, cutting off their exit route.

It is not clear at this stage how many miners have now been brought up.

By Friday afternoon, the number of miners that had resurfaced was 79. Some of those rescued can be seen carrying water bottles and food and boarding buses.

The miners says it was tough.

“It was tough underground. Two days stuck underground, it was difficult. But we persevered. The food was delivered late. We are just relieved that we managed to resurface. There are more mineworkers coming out. We stayed for too long underground. The air we breathed was not ok. And how we were treated was not good,” says one of the resurfaced mineworkers.

Family members of the miners who are trapped at the mine say they will not leave the mine until their loved ones have resurfaced.

Mkolisi Mafisa’s younger brother is one of those still stuck underground. He says they’re worried about him.

“We got this news around 8 o’clock yesteday. Since yesterday, we haven’t heard anything concrete. We want to see him out. As others went out, we want to see him out. So, that’s our hope because they said that there’s no fatalities that happened just as yet, and everything is good for now. It’s painful,” says Mafisa.