Tembagapura Police Chief First Inspector Firman stated on Thursday that the company has deployed equipment to remove the wet mud that has inundated the GBC underground mine since Monday evening.
"Heavy equipment cannot enter the tunnel because as soon as it's lifted, the mud continues to flow forward. There's still a significant amount of mud," he explained.
In response, PT Freeport management is digging a new shaft to deliver food and establish communication with the seven workers trapped underground.
However, Firman said he could not confirm the condition of the miners.
"We don’t know their current state. Based on available information, there is a bunker within the tunnel that can be used for shelter. Hopefully, they’ve taken refuge there," he said.
He also could not verify whether two of the trapped workers are foreign nationals.
"There has been no official statement from PT Freeport," he added.
According to circulating reports in Timika, two of the trapped workers are foreign nationals—one from Chile and the other from Africa.
The names of the seven workers trapped in PT Freeport’s underground mine in Tembagapura are: Irwan, Wigih Hartono, Victor Manuel Bastida Ballesteros, Holong Gembira Silaban, Dadang Hermanto, Zaverius Magai, and Balisang Telile.
Previously, PT Freeport Indonesia’s VP of Corporate Communications, Katri Krisnati, stated in a written release that the company has not yet been able to establish contact with the miners.
As a result of the incident, PT Freeport has temporarily suspended all underground mining operations.
“We are continuing to focus all available resources on evacuating the seven contractor workers who remain unreachable due to the mudflow incident at the Grasberg Block Cave underground mine,” she confirmed.
Freeport management is also reportedly maintaining communication with the families of the trapped miners.
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Translator: Evarianus Supar, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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