Day 17, Search For 5 Freeport Workers Still Continues

Search for PT Freeport (ANTARA) workers

TIMIKA - The underground mining rescue team (UGMR) of PT Freeport Indonesia until the 17th day is still looking for five workers trapped in the wet material movement incident at the Grasberg Block Cave Tembagapura underground mine site, Mimika, Central Papua.

VP Corporate Communications of PT Freeport Indonesia Katri Krisnati, said the Under Ground Mining Response (UGMR) team continued to work day and night despite the big challenges of the movement of wet and high risk materials.

"The search for five colleagues who have not been found is still ongoing," Katri said as quoted by ANTARA.

The UGMR team of PT Freeport Indonesia is reportedly conducting excavations from two access lines, with additional supporting infrastructure because the location is getting deeper and the air is getting more limited.

"Heavy equipment, including remote control loaders, is used to minimize risks for rescue teams," added Katri.

PTFI invites all parties to continue praying and providing moral support for the rescue team so that the five workers are found immediately.

Previously, the underground mining rescue team PTFI had evacuated two PT Cita Contact workers who were also victims of the wet material landslide incident at the underground mine site in the Tembagapura GBC area on Saturday (20/9) morning.

The two workers who were successfully evacuated were found dead and have been buried in their respective hometowns.

The two workers are the late Wigih Hartono and the late Irawan who served as Electrical PT CC.

Mimika Regent Johannes Rettob said the local government and the Mimika community were also concerned about the incident that occurred at the Freeport underground mine site, causing casualties.

The Mimika Regency Government, he said, appreciated the bold steps taken by PTFI management to stop all mining operations in order to prioritize efforts to save workers who were still trapped.

Based on a report received by the Mimika Regency Government from the management of PTFI, it is known that the Head of the Mining Inspector from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has reviewed the location of the incident and provided an assessment that the company's rescue and evacuation steps are appropriate through the deployment of all its resources, labor, mining equipment and the application of the latest technology.

The identities of the five workers who have not been found are Victor Manuel Bastida Ballesteros, Holong Gembira Silaban, Dadang Hermanto, Zaverius Magai, and Balisang Telile.

They are known to be employees of PT Redpath Indonesia, of which two are foreign workers (expatriates) from Chile and Africa.