A CHILEAN former miner who lives in Poole has told of his feelings at watching his countrymen emerge from a mine after 69 days trapped underground.

Tito Bustos, 60, told the Echo he had been watching the events at Chile’s San Jose mine unfold on TV, as the first of 33 trapped miners emerged on Wednesday at 4am UK time, followed by his colleagues at a pace of about one an hour.

The industrial engineer, who came to the UK in 1977 and worked in mines in Wales, said that in his experience a few extra hours underground were unwelcome – let alone months.

“It’s not a very pleasant environment – it’s really difficult to work underground,” he said.

It was “unbelievable to watch” the emergence of the miners after they “have been through that experience”.

He added: “It’s like going from the past to the future through that tunnel. It’s like passing through time – when you surface you’re in a completely different situation.

“This rescue operation is different from every one in the past.”