Mudflow traps seven Freeport Indonesia workers in Grasberg mine, operations suspended
Seven PT Freeport Indonesia workers, including two foreign nationals, remain trapped after a mudflow struck the Grasberg Block Cave mine in Papua. Rescue operations are ongoing, while mining output has fallen by 70 percent following the disaster.
- Seven workers, including two foreigners, are trapped in Grasberg Block Cave mine after a mudflow on 8 September 2025.
- Freeport and Indonesian authorities confirm evacuation is ongoing, though access is blocked.
- Mining operations remain suspended, with production down 70 percent.
A mudflow has trapped seven workers of PT Freeport Indonesia at the Grasberg Block Cave underground mine in Central Papua on 8 September 2025, prompting an immediate suspension of operations.
The incident occurred around 22:00 WIT in the Tembagapura district of Mimika Regency, leaving five Indonesian and two foreign workers stranded. According to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), the foreign nationals are from Chile and South Africa.
Tri Winarno, Director General of Mineral and Coal at ESDM, confirmed that the workers’ embassies had been notified. “The evacuation is still underway. The team on-site is moving debris that blocks access,” he told reporters on 15 September 2025.
Freeport Indonesia Vice President of Corporate Communications, Katri Krisnati, said that rescuers had located the workers’ position. “They are believed to be in a safe condition. Our team is working to clear access so evacuation can proceed quickly and safely,” she explained.
She noted that the blockage had restricted evacuation from one of the mine’s intake points. Although Grasberg usually relies on remote-operated machinery, the avalanche affected areas under development. “All other workers have been confirmed safe,” she added.
Katri stressed that Freeport is ensuring the trapped workers’ basic needs are met while awaiting evacuation. Mining operations have been halted to prioritise rescue efforts.
The Grasberg mine has a record of fatal incidents. In May 2013, a tunnel collapse killed 28 of 34 trapped workers. Two weeks later, another worker was killed in a mudslide-related accident at the same site.
The latest disaster has significantly disrupted production. Tri Winarno said that Freeport’s output from the Grasberg Block Cave has fallen by 70 percent since the mudflow.
He confirmed that production is now running at just 30 percent of its normal capacity, with no timeline yet for recovery. “Production at GBC has stopped for now. Capacity has dropped significantly, possibly to only 30 percent,” Tri told reporters at the parliamentary complex on Monday, 15 September.
The Grasberg mine is among the largest gold and copper reserves in the world. Its operations are critical to Indonesia’s mining sector, and disruptions have implications for both national output and global copper markets.
