Freeport worker killed in mining accident

A worker of gold and copper giant PT Freeport Indonesia was crushed to death on Tuesday by a wheel louder at the company?s mining compound in District Kuala Kencana, Timika, Papua Province, Antara Papua reported.

The news portal quoted local Police Chief Yustanto as saying that the victim, Lukas Rapi (48), was supervising workers to remove chain from a trailer when a wheel louder, driven by Derek Nathaniel (50), carrying a container moved toward him. Derek did no see Lukas.

PT Freeport, a subsidiary of US giant Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc, has seen a series of mining incidents in the past couple of years. In July of last year, one worker was killed during a work accident at its mine, and in January of last year one contract worker was killed. In February of this year, the company saw a landslide incident at its mine due to heavy rainfall, but no casualties were reported. (*)