Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — PT Freeport Indonesia said rescue teams are still trying to reach seven workers trapped underground mine after last week’s landslide. Teams are still working to open access to the last known location of the workers before contact was lost.
The company said efforts have been underway since the landslide incident on Monday (September 8) last week, with teams working to reopen access to the mine.
“Rescue teams are working nonstop to clear the way using heavy equipment, drills, and drones, despite facing major challenges and high safety risks,” Freeport said in a statement on Wednesday (September 17).
The landslide sent wet muck into the underground mine at the Grasberg Block Cave, blocking vital access routes and leaving seven workers isolated.
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Indonesia’s Deputy Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Yuliot Tanjung said the trapped Freeport workers were able to briefly communicate with rescue teams through handheld radios, giving an estimated location that could take around 30 hours to reach.
Despite the information, rescue teams have yet to break through to the site. Crews tried drilling a hole to insert a camera and confirm the workers’ condition, but visibility remains unclear.
Freeport said efforts are being hampered by massive volumes of wet muck that flooded the Grasberg Block Cave underground mine, blocking key access tunnels.
“This makes the rescue operation extremely complex, high-risk, and time-consuming as large amounts of material must be cleared,” the company said.
Freeport-McMoRan leadership has been closely monitoring the operation. Chairman Richard Adkerson and President and CEO Kathleen Quirk visited the site along with PT Freeport Indonesia President Director Tony Wenas.
(Raidi/Agung)
