JAKARTA (Reuters) - An unknown number of workers at the Indonesian unit of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc are trapped underground after a tunnel collapsed at the world's second-largest copper mine, a statement from the Arizona-based firm said on Tuesday.
Freeport Indonesia operates the Grasberg mine in west Papua province, which also has the world's largest gold reserves and employs just over 24,000 contract and non-contract workers.
An emergency response and safety team are now conducting a search and rescue, the Freeport statement said. There were no details on the number of workers trapped or casualties, and whether mine output had been affected.
"The rescue process is difficult and will take some time to complete," the statement said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with our fellow employees and their families as we proceed with rescue efforts."
A company spokeswoman contacted by telephone could provide no further details.
Government authorities had been informed of the incident, the statement added.
(Reporting by Sam Wanda in Timika in West Papua and Michael Taylor in Jakarta; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)
