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Landslide kills 12 near Freeport mine in eastern Indonesia

06 May 2008, JAKARTA - Twelve people died in a landslide near a massive copper mine operated by Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold in Indonesia's Papua province, but the firm's mining operations were unaffected, officials said on Tuesday. A torrent of mud fell into a river, burying local miners who were working on Monday night, Godhelp Cornelis Mansnembra, the police chief in the nearest main town of Mimika, said.

"They are not Freeport's workers. They're community miners who often mine in Freeport's area. Thousands of people often dig gold there," he said. The police had so far found 12 bodies, while nine miners were still missing. Mindo Pangaribuan, spokesman for PT Freeport Indonesia, said the landslide did not disrupt the company's operations.

"The landslide happened outside the mining areas," Pangaribuan said. Freeport will also work with the local government to discuss the community miners working in the company's area, he said.