Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Five workers trapped underground following a landslide at PT Freeport Indonesia’s Grasberg Block Cave have been found, bringing an end to a nearly month-long rescue operation. All five workers were found deceased at the site .
Rescue teams from PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI), the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, Mimika Police, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), and the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) successfully located and evacuated the five missing workers on Sunday night, October 5.
“After 27 days of continuous and challenging efforts, team has successfully found and evacuate all five workers from the site of the wet material slide in the Grasberg Block Cave underground mine,” Freeport Indonesia said in an official statement, Monday (October 6), as reported by Antara.
The victims were identified as Zaverius Magai, Holong Gembira Silaban, Dadang Hermanto, Balisang Telile (a South African national), and Victor Bastida Ballesteros (a Chilean national). All employees were workers at a mining contractor, PT Redpath Indonesia.
The remains of four workers were flown from Mozes Kilangin Airport in Timika to Jakarta on Monday for burial in their respective hometowns, while Zaverius Magai was to be laid to rest in Kuala Kencana, Timika.
Two other workers had been found dead earlier on September 20. With the latest evacuations, all the seven Freeport’s landslide victims have been recovered.
Tony Wenas, President Director of PT Freeport Indonesia, expressed condolences to the families, who have been in Tembagapura since mid-September.
“They were our colleagues and part of the Freeport Indonesia family. This loss brings deep sorrow to all of us,” Wenas said.
He added that the company is providing full support and assistance to the victims’ families and ensuring that all remains are treated with the utmost respect.
Wenas also praised the tireless efforts of rescue teams who worked under extremely difficult conditions to locate the trapped workers.
“The rescue operation took time because of the challenging terrain and the massive volume of wet material, estimated at around 800,000 tons. We deeply appreciate the dedication and prayers of everyone involved,” he said.
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The landslide occurred on September 8, 2025, at around 10 p.m. local time in the Grasberg Block Cave underground mining area in Tembagapura, Central Papua. A large flow of wet mud inundated the tunnels, trapping seven workers underground.
Although all seven victims have now been recovered, the company said a full investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident. The findings will serve as the basis for preventive measures to avoid similar tragedies in the future.
(Raidi/Agung)
