West Papua | Goaty's News (UK)

Tropical Depression MUIFA (03W )

Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)

WTPN31 PGTW 271500
MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI//
SUBJ/TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING//
RMKS/
1. TROPICAL DEPRESSION 03W (MUIFA) WARNING NR 012
DOWNGRADED FROM TROPICAL STORM 03W
01 ACTIVE TROPICAL CYCLONE IN NORTHWESTPAC
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS BASED ON ONE-MINUTE AVERAGE
WIND RADII VALID OVER OPEN WATER ONLY
—
WARNING POSITION:
271200Z — NEAR 17.0N 134.8E
MOVEMENT PAST SIX HOURS – 005 DEGREES AT 11 KTS
POSITION ACCURATE TO WITHIN 060 NM
POSITION BASED ON CENTER LOCATED BY SATELLITE
PRESENT WIND DISTRIBUTION:
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS – 030 KT, GUSTS 040 KT
WIND RADII VALID OVER OPEN WATER ONLY
REPEAT POSIT: 17.0N 134.8E
—
FORECASTS:
12 HRS, VALID AT:
280000Z — 18.4N 136.1E
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS – 025 KT, GUSTS 035 KT
WIND RADII VALID OVER OPEN WATER ONLY
DISSIPATING AS A SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL CYCLONE OVER WATER
VECTOR TO 24 HR POSIT: 050 DEG/ 14 KTS
—
24 HRS, VALID AT:
281200Z — 20.1N 138.4E
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS – 020 KT, GUSTS 030 KT
WIND RADII VALID OVER OPEN WATER ONLY
DISSIPATED AS A SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL CYCLONE OVER WATER
—
REMARKS:
271500Z POSITION NEAR 17.3N 135.1E.
TROPICAL DEPRESSION 03W (MUIFA), LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 489 NM
NORTH-NORTHWEST OF YAP, HAS TRACKED NORTHWARD AT 11 KNOTS OVER
THE PAST SIX HOURS.
MAXIMUM SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT AT 271200Z IS 11 FEET. NEXT
WARNINGS AT 272100Z, 280300Z AND 280900Z.
//
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MARITIME/SHIPPING

METAREA11 / TYPHOON_WARNING_JAPAN / 270600

WTJP21 RJTD 270600
WARNING 270600.
WARNING VALID 280600.
WARNING IS UPDATED EVERY 6 HOURS.
GALE WARNING.
TROPICAL STORM 1701 MUIFA (1701) 1002 HPA
AT 15.7N 134.7E SEA EAST OF PHILIPPINES MOVING NORTH 07 KNOTS.
POSITION POOR.
MAX WINDS 35 KNOTS NEAR CENTER.
RADIUS OF OVER 30 KNOT WINDS 120 MILES.
FORECAST POSITION FOR 271800UTC AT 17.0N 135.2E WITH 30 MILES RADIUS
OF 70 PERCENT PROBABILITY CIRCLE.
1002 HPA, MAX WINDS 35 KNOTS NEAR CENTER.
FORECAST POSITION FOR 280600UTC AT 18.8N 137.2E WITH 80 MILES RADIUS
OF 70 PERCENT PROBABILITY CIRCLE.
1002 HPA, MAX WINDS 35 KNOTS NEAR CENTER.
EXTENDED OUTLOOK.
FORECAST POSITION FOR 290600UTC AT 23.3N 144.0E WITH 150 MILES RADIUS
OF 70 PERCENT PROBABILITY CIRCLE.
1006 HPA.
BECOMING TROPICAL DEPRESSION.

JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY.=

Tropical Cyclone Warning for Shipping from PAGASA

WTPH RPMM 271200

TTT WARNING 7-FINAL

AT 1200 27 APRIL TROPICAL DEPRESSION {MUIFA} (1701) DOWNGRADED FROM TROPICAL STORM WAS ESTIMATED BASED ON ALL AVAILABLE DATA AT ONE SIX POINT FOUR NORTH ONE THREE FOUR POINT EIGHT EAST FORECAST TO MOVE NORTH NORTHEAST AT ZERO FIVE METERS PER SECOND MODERATE TO ROUGH SEAS WITHIN ONE FIVE ZERO KILOMETER RADIUS ESTIMATED CENTRAL PRESSURE ONE ZERO ZERO TWO HECTOPASCALS MAXIMUM WINDS ONE FIVE METERS PER SECOND NEAR THE CENTER FORECAST POSITION AT 281200 ONE NINE POINT SIX NORTH ONE THREE EIGHT POINT ZERO EAST WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT AND UNLESS RE-ENTRY OCCURS THIS IS THE FINAL WARNING FROM PHILIPPINE ATMOSPHERIC GEOPHYSICAL AND ASTRONOMICAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION PD

PAGASA

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A training tunnel collapsed on Tuesday at the world’s second largest copper mine in eastern Indonesia, trapping at least 33 workers underground, the mine’s owner, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc, said. Earlier reports, quoting a mine official at the scene, had said three workers were killed in the accident, but the Arizona-based firm denied any deaths had occurred. Rescue efforts were under way at the remote Grasberg mine in West Papua province. Output at the mine, which also has the world’s largest gold reserves and employs just over 24,000 contract and non-contract workers, was not expected to be significantly affected, the company said. “A tunnel in the underground training area collapsed, trapping a number of employees,” the company said in a statement. “The rescue process is difficult and will take some time to complete.”

At least 40 workers had been in an underground training facility when it collapsed early on Tuesday, the statement said. Three people escaped unhurt, while four were rescued and received medical treatment. “Freeport Indonesia does not expect this event to have a material effect on mining and milling operations or development activities,” the statement said. Government authorities had been informed, the company said. The collapse is one of a series of worker-related incidents at the mine in recent months. This month, a group of contract workers returned to work after successful pay talks ended a three-day work stoppage. The last major strike at Freeport Indonesia, in 2011, lasted for three months, caused copper and gold output to drop 15 percent and was Indonesia’s longest-ever industrial dispute. Freeport Indonesia says its sales are expected to reach 1.1 billion pounds of copper and 1.2 million ounces of gold in 2013, up 54 percent and 31 percent over 2012 figures, respectively, as mining moves into higher ore grades.
Tuesday, 14 May, 2013 at 13:29 (01:29 PM) UTC RSOE

Other Reports

“Four workers have been pulled alive from a tunnel that collapsed at a mine in remote eastern Indonesia Tuesday but 33 others remained trapped, the US operator said.

The accident happened at Freeport-McMoRan’s Grasberg mine, one of the world’s biggest gold and copper mines which has been hit by a string of problems including a major 2011 strike that affected production.

“Rescuers have evacuated four of the 37 people believed trapped when part of a tunnel collapsed at an underground training facility,” the Indonesian subsidiary of Freeport said in a statement.

Local police chief Jermias Rontini told AFP those evacuated had been taken to hospital but did not know their conditions.

Rontini was not hopeful for those still trapped. “In the past, similar tunnel collapses caused fatalities as people who were trapped couldn’t get enough oxygen.”

Freeport said 40 employees and contract workers had been in a classroom at the training facility when the tunnel collapsed at about 7:30 am but three managed to escape immediately.

The tunnel is 500 metres away from one of the mining areas, high in the mountains of rugged Papua province.

Freeport said rescue operations were “difficult and will take some time to complete” but added “it would spare no effort” to save the trapped workers. The company added it did not expect production to be affected.

The company has not identified the nationalities of those involved in the accident, although the vast majority of the more than 24,000 workers at the mine are Indonesian. Neither police nor Freeport said why the accident happened.

The 2011 strike lasted three months and crippled production, only ending once the firm agreed to a huge pay rise.

The industrial action sparked a wave of deadly clashes between police and gunmen around the mine, with at least 11 people, all Indonesians, killed.

Earlier this month, some 1,100 workers employed by Freeport contractors staged a three-day strike over pay but it caused only minimal disruption to production.” – AFP/ globalpost.com