October 5, 2025 | 08:03 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) announced that its emergency response team recovered the bodies of three workers today, October 5, 2025, following a landslide at the Grasberg Block Cave underground mine.
"On behalf of myself and the company, I express my condolences to the families who have been in Tembagapura since September 14, 2025," said PTFI President Director Tony Wenas in a written statement on Sunday.
Tony stated that the three bodies were evacuated at different times throughout the day. The first discovery and evacuation occurred around 12:00 p.m. local time, identifying the deceased worker as Victor Bastida Ballesteros, a Chilean national and employee of PT Redpath Indonesia.
Tony confirmed that medical and police teams are conducting the identification process with caution and respect.
Following the first recovery, Freeport evacuated two more bodies around 4:53 p.m. Tony explained that the medical and police teams are still in the process of identifying these two workers.
Tony described the discovery as significant progress and affirmed that rescue efforts are still ongoing to find all trapped colleagues. He promised that PTFI will provide full support to the families of the deceased workers and full support for the identification process.
Landslide Incident
The landslide in the Grasberg Block Cave underground mine occurred late on Monday night, September 8, 2025, around 10:00 p.m.
PTFI Vice President Corporate Communications Katri Krisnati explained that a large amount of material flowed from one of the production intake points in an underground block. This flow restricted evacuation routes and closed access to certain areas for the seven contractor workers initially reported as trapped.
"The location of the trapped workers has been identified, and they are believed to be in a safe condition," Katri said in a written statement on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. "Our team is working to open access so that the evacuation process can be carried out quickly and safely."
Katri confirmed that, in addition to clearing the route, the company is ensuring the workers' needs are met while they await rescue. Mining operations have been temporarily halted to prioritize rescue efforts.
Nandito Putra contributed to the report.
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