TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A tunnel in the underground mine training facilities of Freeport Indonesia has caved in on Tuesday, May 14, at around 7:40 a.m. local time, leaving dozens of workers trapped in the tunnel located in Tembagapura Subdistrict, Papua.
"The rescue team is performing a search and rescue operation," said Freeport Indonesia’s Corporate Communications VP Daisy Primayanti.
Until this news was written, Freeport has been unable to confirm the condition and the number of workers trapped in the tunnel. Daisy stated that the company is encountering unconventional difficulty level which may lead to longer rescue time.
An on-site worker claimed the landslide occurred in UG QMS where the annual refresher training took place. Soon after the incident, all employees were instructed to return to barrack.
"All locations were isolated," said the worker.
Reports from the site revealed that around 34 workers were trapped in the tunnel and only four have been evacuated. The Tembagapura Sector Police chief Adj. Comr. Sudirman could not be reached due to communication failure.
ANANDA BADUDU | TJAHJO ERANIUS (PAPUA)