JAKARTA: Freeport Indonesia confirmed on Thursday that the search for five missing workers at the Grasberg copper and gold mine remains ongoing.
The operation continues more than three weeks after a deadly mud flow disaster struck the mine site on September 8.
Approximately 800,000 metric tons of wet material flooded the mine during the incident, initially trapping seven workers.
Rescuers have since recovered two bodies from the affected area.
Mine operator Freeport-McMoRan has declared force majeure at the facility and reduced its sales estimates as a result.
Freeport Indonesia spokesperson Katri Krisnati stated that the search for the five missing colleagues continues relentlessly.
She noted that the high-risk rescue process faces significant challenges due to ongoing movement of wet material.
Rescuers have excavated two access routes and are deploying heavy equipment with remote control systems.
Search conditions are becoming more difficult as operations extend deeper with increasingly limited air circulation.
The company did not immediately respond to inquiries about the current condition of the trapped workers.
This incident and the subsequent suspension of all mining activities at Grasberg have caused global copper prices to jump significantly. – Reuters