JAKARTA | An explosion on Sunday killed at least 13 people and injured 46 at a Chinese nickel processing factory on the island of Sulawesi in eastern Indonesia, a local official said.
The accident occurred around 5:30 a.m. at a factory owned by Indonesian company Tsingshan Stainless Steel (ITSS) in the Morowali industrial park, said Dedy Kurniawan, spokesman for that industrial park.
The original death toll was 12, but after the death of one of the injured, the number rose to 13, nine Indonesians and four Chinese. According to the same source, the number of injured is currently 46.
“The confirmed number of deaths is 13, including nine Indonesian workers and four Chinese workers,” the spokesman said in a statement, revising the number of deceased foreign workers to four.
Twenty-nine injured people were hospitalized at a facility in Morowali district, 12 others at a clinic in the industrial complex, while five victims received outpatient treatment.
The island of Sulawesi is a major production center for nickel, a metal used particularly in batteries for electric cars and to make stainless steel. China has invested heavily in factories there, but working and safety conditions there are often criticized.
A flammable liquid
According to initial findings, the explosion occurred during repair work on a blast furnace. A flammable liquid ignited and the fire spread to oxygen tanks, which exploded, the spokesman said. The fire was extinguished on Sunday morning.
An employee at the construction site told AFP how serious the victims' injuries were. “Their faces were burnt and their clothes were completely charred,” he said on condition of anonymity.
An industrial park manager, Rachmansyah Ismail, told Kompas television that 25 injured people, mostly Indonesians, had been hospitalized, including 17 with serious injuries.
ITSS is a subsidiary of the world's largest nickel producer, China's Tsingshan Holding Group, which also controls Morowali Park.
The company that manages the industrial park said it was “deeply saddened by this disaster, especially for the families affected.”
The remains of several identified victims were transported to their residences, while the remains of one victim were returned to the family.
In January, two workers, including a Chinese national, were killed at a nickel smelting plant in the same industrial complex in a riot over wage conditions and workplace safety. In June there was an accident at this factory that left one dead and six injured.