#LilyMine: 'Prayers needed now more than ever'

Today marks the 6th day of search and rescue efforts for three mineworkers trapped inside a lamp room.

BARBERTON - Rescue teams racing against time to save three trapped workers inside a collapsed mine in Barberton have removed nearly 5,000 tons of rock and debris, but have not yet managed to reach the lamp room that fell into a hole as the earth caved in.

Today marks the sixth day of search and rescue efforts at the Lily Mine.

The workers, Pretty Nkambule, Solomon Nyerende and Yvonne Mnisi were in the lamp room with safety packs and lights when it collapsed.

Government is assisting with rescue efforts while unions have called on South Africans to keep praying for the workers.

Rescue teams are inching closer to the area where they believe the workers remain trapped.

But mine manager Mike Begg says removing the rock is a tedious process.

"It's just been a frenzy of loading and moving of rock. We've had to drill and blast and move. We know they're there and we know they're close."

Yesterday, Begg warned that time is running out for the workers and said they last received a signal from inside the container just after midday.

WATCH: Lily Mine rescue efforts continue

Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) president Joseph Mathunjwa also visited the mine and says prayers are needed now more than ever.

"Those miracles that used to happen in the olden days are still going to happen today. We still believe. We are patient and are consistently praying."

Community members who have been gathering outside the mine since the collapse say they are losing hope that the workers will emerge from underground alive.

Meanwhile, the owners of the mine have praised the resilience of the three worker's families.

Begg says, "They sing and pray and then they sleep… The resilience is amazing and they're not interfering, they're not upset, they're not disturbing, they're not demanding information from us. They just sit patiently and wait for us to address them."