PTFI spokesperson Riza Pratama remarked during a phone conversation from Timika on Friday that mining vehicle traffic has been normal after the roads were cleared of materials.
"This morning, the access to MP 69 was temporarily closed for cleaning and inspection. Now, it has been reopened," Pratama noted.
Pratama added that the company’s management always reminded all employees of safety, including dealing with landslides often occurring in the mining area.
"PTFI always prioritizes safety and constantly updates the situation to employees," Pratama remarked.
Tembagapura Police Chief Inspector Hermanto noted that the landslide materials had trapped Freeport's operational mining car.
Freeport's Safety and Emergency Response Group (ERG) team promptly reached the site of the landslide.
The company deployed two heavy equipment to clear piles of rock and soil material covering the road and managed to remove the car out from the rubble.
"We need approximately 30 minutes to remove the car with operation number 01.4632 and secure the 68.5 mile area," Police Chief Hermanto noted.
He confirmed no fatality in the incident. The Geotech team has also checked the site and declared it safe from aftershocks.
Landslides often occur in Tembagapura and its vicinity areas, especially during the rainy season that has been lasting for over a month.
In 2017, flash floods with rock and sand avalanches had ravaged Tembagapura City where offices, business centers, and residences of PTFI employees in Mimika plateau are located. Related news: Two Freeport Indonesia workers still missing following landslide
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Translator: Evarianus Supar/Bambang Purwan
Editor: Suharto
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