Freeport Operation Stopped, Evacuation Of 7 Workers Trapped In Wet Material Constraints

The PTFI Emergency Response Team used various advanced equipment and resources to save seven workers who were still trapped in the Grasberg Block Cave (GBC) Tembagapura underground mining area, Mimika, Central Papua. (ANTARA)

TIMIKA - President Director of PT Freeport Indonesia Tony Wenas said his staff mobilized all available resources to save seven workers who are still trapped in the Grasberg Block Cave (GBC) underground mining area in Tembagapura, Mimika, Central Papua.

Tony Wenas said he and the management of PTFI were present in Tembagapura to provide full support for efforts to save the seven workers who were still trapped in the large number of wet ore mud landslides since Monday, September 8, 2025 night.

"Our focus is on the rescue and safety of the seven employees and all employees in the work area. We are trying our best. We focus on all the power of effort, energy and resources to save the seven employees," Wenas said as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, September 12.

PTFI's emergency response team, he said, worked relentlessly to open access to the estimated location of the seven workers with the help of heavy equipment, drills, and drones, despite the constraints of active wet material, while trying to restore access to communication.

In carrying out these various efforts, PTFI collaborated with the Mining Inspector of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, MIND ID and Freeport McMoRAN.

Tony said the toughest challenge faced to evacuate the seven workers who were still trapped was the wet ore mud material that entered the GBC underground mining area, which was very large.

"The landslide material is far more than we expected, so it requires extra handling and longer time. Until now there is still movement from the base ore mud," he said.

PTFI asks for support and prayers from all levels of society so that all rescue efforts for the workers who are still trapped can be successful.

"We will also bring the families of the workers to the work area to be able to jointly see all the efforts we make and get the latest information," said Wenas.

A wet ore mud landslide occurred in an underground mining area in the Grassberg Block Cave (GBC) Extraction 28-30 Panel, Tembagapura, Mimika Regency on Monday, September 8, 2025 night at around 22.00 WIT.

The large flow of wet material from the production point in one of the production blocks closed access to certain areas in the mine, thus limiting evacuation routes for seven trapped workers.

As a result of this condition, PTFI temporarily suspended all underground mining operations to focus on evacuation and recovery efforts.

Based on information circulating in Timika, it is known that there are two foreign workers from Chile and Africa who are also trapped in the GBC underground mine.

The following are the names of seven workers trapped in the underground mine of PT Freeport in Tembagapura:

1. Irwan2. Wigih Hartono3. Victor Manuel Bastida Ballesteros4. Happy Holong Silaban5. Dadang Hermanto6. Zaverius Magai7. Balisang Telile.