Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Yuliot Tanjung said here on Friday that the involvement of the law enforcement division aims to determine whether there were any criminal offenses, such as negligence on the company’s part, that may have led to the incident.
Regarding Freeport’s request to resume mining activities at two other sites, the ministry is still awaiting the results of an evaluation before making a decision, he confirmed.
“If the evaluation shows that mining operations at the two other sites are feasible, we will allow them to continue,” Tanjung said. The assessment is being carried out by the ministry’s Directorate General of Mineral and Coal, he added.
Freeport Indonesia President Director Tony Wenas said the company’s smelter in Gresik, East Java, has been temporarily shut down due to a lack of concentrate supply following the landslide at the Grasberg Block Cave (GBC) underground mine.
The incident occurred on September 8, 2025, in Tembagapura, Mimika, Central Papua, prompting the company to suspend all mining activities and focus on the search and rescue operation for seven workers trapped in the area.
All victims were eventually found, and on October 6, Freeport announced the completion of the search and rescue operation.
“Hopefully, we can resume operations, even if not at full capacity, so that we can produce concentrates to supply our smelters,” Wenas remarked.
He added that the company will calculate the impact of the one-month suspension on its production performance, though its current focus remains on restoring the affected mining area following the evacuation of the victims.
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Translator: Putu Indah Savitri, Mecca Yumna
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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