21 Jun 2013

Indonesian government pushed to complete report so mine can re-open

4:10 am on 21 June 2013

The Indonesian government says the report into the deadly tunnel collapse at the world's biggest copper and gold mine could be finalised this weekend.

The local government in Papua has asked Jakarta to push forward talks with the mine's majority owners, Freeport McMoRan, so that local workers can return to work.

The head of the Mimika Legislative Council, Trifena Tinal, told the Jakarta Globe that talks between the government and Freeport's management had failed to arrive at a solution regarding allocation of profits.

He says trillions of rupiah go to Jakarta, but very little remains to help the local area.

Mr Trifena also demanded Freeport distribute compensation to the families of the 28 victims who died during the tunnel collapse at the Grasberg mine.

Last month's collapse in an underground training facility trapped 38 workers and only ten survived.

The mine was then forced to suspend operations until the government had completed its report on the incident.