Mining General Manager of PT Freeport Nurhadi Sabirin who also leads the evacuation team said here on Saturday that Lifepak 3 was able to detect vibration that likely human`s heartbeats. However, they are still not sure whether there would be more survivors since there are possibilities that those vibrations were caused by other factors.
"We could not detect other potential vibrations yet during the last 72 hours ago," he said.
According to Sabirin, the evacuation team has been working 24 hours non-stops to look for about 23 miners who are suspected still buried in the Big Gossan since the landslide on Tuesday, May 14. Nevertheless, the more time wasted, the smaller chances to find any survivor, he said.
Sabirin added PT Freeport has mobilized all experts and all best equipments to help the victims.
Since the landslide last week, the stone material are still falling, hence hampering the evacuation process.
On the other hand, President Director of PT Freeport Indonesia Rozik B Soetjipto said that a comprehensive investigation would be conducted to find the cause of this tragedy.
"We will provide some international expertise and involve the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry during the investigation," he said.
Soetjipto added PT Freeport would give all out efforts to ensure similar accident not happen again in the future.
Up to now, five of the fifteen evacuated victims were dead. While, five survivors have been boarded to Jakarta for further examination and five others still treated at Tembagapura Hospital, Papua. The company believes there are still 23 victims being trapped in the Big Gossan mining facility.
(A060/F001)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
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