explosion at nickel factory leaves at least 13 dead, 46 injured

According to the first elements of the investigation, the explosion took place during repair work on a blast furnace.

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An aerial view shows, on May 12, 2023, the nickel processing plant of the company PT Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel, located on the island of Sulawesi (Indonesia).  (RIZA SALMAN / AFP)

An explosion left at least 13 dead and 46 injured on Sunday, December 24, at a nickel processing plant in eastern Indonesia. The accident occurred around 5:30 a.m. (10:30 p.m. Saturday in Paris) at a factory of the Chinese-financed company PT Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel in the Morowali industrial park on the island of Sulawesi, reported the spokesperson for the industrial zone.

Initially set at 12, the death toll rose to 13, nine Indonesians and four Chinese, after the death of one of the injured. According to the first elements of the investigation, the explosion took place during repair work on a blast furnace. An inflammable liquid ignited and the fire spread to oxygen tanks which exploded, the spokesperson explained. The fire was extinguished on Sunday morning.

Deadly riots in January

The island of Sulawesi is a major production center for nickel, a base metal used in particular in electric car batteries and for the manufacture of stainless steel. China has invested heavily in factories there, but working conditions there are often criticized. Last January, two workers, including a Chinese citizen, were killed at a nickel smelting plant located in the same industrial complex during a riot over wage conditions and workplace safety.


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