IMIP Workers Buried in Nickel Tailing: NGOs, Trade Unions Demand Legal Accountability

JOINT PRESS RELEASE
Yayasan Tanah Merdeka, TuK INDONESIA, FPE KSBSI, SPL FSPMI, and SBIMI

Jakarta, Thursday, April 17, 2025 – A landslide occurred at the Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) in Kilometer 8 of the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at approximately 00:10 WITA, while excavator operators were working at the tailing disposal site.

The collapse buried four (4) excavator operators under toxic mine waste. One worker survived, and one, Demianus, was found deceased at the scene. Irfan Tandi Tasik was found on April 7, while Muhammad Akbar remains missing.

The victims were employees of PT Morowali Investasi Konstruksi Indonesia (MIKI), a contractor managing tailing operations for PT QMB New Energy Materials and PT Huayue Nickel Cobalt.

According to Richard Labiro, Director of Yayasan Tanah Merdeka, “PT Huayue Nickel Cobalt and PT QMB New Energy Materials produce mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP), a key material for electric vehicle batteries. This production uses high pressure acid leaching (HPAL) technology, which generates approximately 100 tons of toxic tailings for every ton of nickel produced.”

Richard further explained that this type of tailing—slurry-like waste with around 30% water content—is particularly vulnerable to collapse during rainfall. The Morowali Regency Spatial Plan (RTRW) 2019–2039 classifies Bahodopi Subdistrict, where IMIP is located, as prone to earthquakes, landslides, and floods. A year prior to this incident, on March 16, 2024, there had in fact been an occurrence of flooding—alleged to be caused by a tailing dam breach belonging to PT Huayue Nickel Cobalt—which impacted 341 households (1,092 people) in Labota village and the IMIP area.

Abdul Haris, Head of Advocacy and Public Education at TuK INDONESIA, elaborated, “Nickel tailings are the toxic remnants from the extraction of nickel ore. These often contain hazardous chemical compounds and require storage in tailings dams. We suspect that this dam failed, causing the landslide. A thorough investigation is needed, and responsible parties must be held accountable.”

This tragedy highlights serious failures in environmental management and occupational health and safety (OHS). The incident prompts a demand for a joint investigation involving Law enforcement, the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. Firm legal action by state institutions may be vital in restoring public trust and guaranteeing protection for workers. This is paramount to maintaining assurance in global markets.

Riswan Lubis, President of FPE-KSBSI, expressed condolences and demanded a full investigation by the government and PT IMIP management.

“We don’t want this to keep happening. Even one life lost is worth more than any amount of corporate profit. Recurring accidents indicates deep systemic flaws in IMIP’s OHS implementation. The investigation must be conducted transparently, and findings must be shared openly with stakeholders. We urge the government to act firmly and ensure such tragic incidents do not happen again.”

This is not the first fatal landslide in Sulawesi’s nickel industry.

• On February 17, 2022, Habib Hamdani died in a landslide at a PT Gunbuster Nickel Indonesia construction site in North Morowali.

• On April 27, 2023, a landslide at PT Indonesia Guang Ching Nickel and Stainless Industry’s slag disposal area killed Arif and Masriadi, both dump truck drivers.

• Other worksite fatalities include Bega Youser and Rahmat Nandi Bayowe, workers at PT Sumber Permata Mineral, who died during operations in Peboa Village, North Morowali.

Muhammad Zen Alhasni, Chair of SPL FSPMI Morowali, stated:

“When fatal workplace accidents continue to happen repeatedly and on a large scale, the government should realize this is a serious issue. This must be dealt with firmly—it borders on premeditated negligence. Labor inspectors are responsible for ensuring companies carry out regular safety audits and comply with national labor laws.”

Andi Ilham, Chair of SBIMI, also condemned the disaster:

“This is not an isolated incident. It adds to a long list of workplace accidents in the nickel industry of Morowali over the past five years. These recurring tragedies expose a critical failure in OHS implementation and weak government oversight, including from relevant authorities.”

As the industrial park operator, PT IMIP and the government must conduct a comprehensive investigation.

“No profit justifies the loss of a single life,” Andi added.

The joint organizations urge:

• Stricter enforcement of mining and OHS regulations;

• Periodic risk assessments and robust mitigation protocols;

• Enhanced training and certification for government OHS inspectors;

• Strong penalties for OHS violations with no tolerance for negligence;

• Collaborative dialogue between trade unions, companies, and the government to foster safe working environments.

“This is a wake-up call. We must not let workplace deaths become normalized. It must not become a form of banality, where tragedy no longer feels like injustice. We demand urgent action from the authorities and industrial park management to prevent future tragedies.”

Contacts

1. Yayasan Tanah Merdeka, Richard Labiro: +62 813-4222-3873

2. FPE KSBSI, Irfan Asgani: +62 856-4350-5899

3. TuK INDONESIA, Abdul Haris: +62 821-9195-2025

4. SBIMI, Andi Ilham: +62 852-9985-8541

5. SPL FSPMI, Zen Alhasni: +62 853-4057-9993

This post is also available in: Indonesian