At least 13 people were killed and 38 injured after an explosion took place on Sunday (Dec 24) in a Chinese-funded nickel processing plant in eastern Indonesia.
Among the dead were eight Indonesian workers and five foreign, all Chinese.
The plant is located on the island of Sulawesi, eastern Indonesia, which is a hub for the mineral-rich country’s production of nickel.
The significance of the industry has never been greater, especially in the view of growing demand for EV batteries and stainless steel.
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The accident took place at around 5:30 am (local time), at the plant which is owned by Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel in the Morowali Industrial Park.
A spokesperson of the complex said 38 people “with minor and serious injuries are currently receiving medical treatment.”
Unrest in plant due to Chinese funding
According to media reports, Beijing’s growing investment in the plant had stoked unrest over poor working conditions.
The Sunday incident happened during repair work on a furnace when a flammable liquid ignited and the subsequent blast caused nearby oxygen tanks to explode as well, AFP reported citing an official.
The fire was successfully extinguished later on Sunday morning.
Firm “deeply saddened”
The firm which operates the industrial park said in a statement it was “deeply saddened by this disaster, particularly for the families affected”.
“Their faces were burnt, their clothes were all burnt,” a worker at the industrial complex was quoted as saying by AFP on condition of anonymity.
Past instances
Deadly factory incidents are not rare in Indonesia, where safety norms are often flouted and regulations overlooked.
In January, two Chinese workers lost their lives at another nickel smelting plant of the same complex following riots that broke out due to poor working conditions.
In June, a fire at the same plant where explosion occurred Sunday, left one dead and six others injured.
The facility is operated by Gunbuster Nickel Industry, a local unit of China’s Jiangsu Delong Nickel Industry.
(With inputs from agencies)
