Australian killed by landslide at Indonesia's Freeport Mine

[News_Editor]

Australian killed by landslide at Indonesia's Freeport Mine

2011-08-03 07:34:55 GMT+7 (ICT)

PAPUA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) – An Australian man was killed by a landslide in an area controlled by mining giant Freeport Indonesia in the country's east on Tuesday, the Jakarta Globe reported on Wednesday.

Papua Police spokesman Senior Commander Wahcyono told the newspaper that the landslide, which occurred at mile 73 (kilometer 117) of the road leading to the Grasberg mine, was caused by heavy overnight rain. It happened near the town of Tembagapura in Papua province.

"The landslide hit a Ford pick-up truck driven by an Australian citizen. He was thrown into a 150-meter (492-feet) abyss," Wachyono said.

Police said the victim worked for Redpath Indonesia, a company contracted by Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., which is the world's lowest-cost copper producer and one of the world's largest producers of gold.

A search and rescue team was at the scene to retrieve the victim's body, Wachyono said, and police were still trying to determine if others had been caught up in the landslide as well. The spokesman however said this was unlikely.

The name of the Australian citizen was not immediately released. Floods and landslides, caused by frequent heavy rain, are common in Indonesia.

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