JAKARTA, March 3 (Xinhua) -- A landslide in mining processing area of PT Freeport Indonesia has forced workers to evacuate, but did not disturb operation of the world's second largest copper mine, workers said on Sunday.
The incident took place at mile 74 on Saturday in Tembagapura of Mimika district in Papua province, but did not cause injuries, Virgo Salossa, member of worker union of the firm and former spokesman of the union said.
"The landslide did not impact operation, the operation of the mine still continues. But the workers are evacuated," he told Xinhua.
He said that torrential rains had occurred frequently in the area during the landslides, but investigation is carried out over the disaster.
Yonathan Iyai, member of worker union board told Xinhua by phone that the landslide happened in the area where the firm's factories are situated, and it was separated from the company's Grasberg mine.
Grasberg mine is the largest gold mine and the second biggest copper mine in the word. The PT Freeport Indonesia, which was a subsidiary of U.S. giant Freeport McMorant Inc., since 1973, has been taken over by Indonesia's state firm PT Asahan Aluminium since Dec. 21 last year.
