Aerial view of the Morowali industrial park, May 14, 2023 in Indonesia (AFP/Archives/RIZA SALMAN)
An explosion on Sunday left at least 13 dead and 46 injured 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. (9:30 p.m. GMT Saturday) in a factory of the Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel (ITSS) company in the Morowali industrial park, said Dedy Kurniawan, spokesperson for this 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. The number of injured now stands at 46, according to the same source.
“The confirmed number of deaths is 13, including nine Indonesian workers and four Chinese workers,” the spokesperson said in a statement, revising the number of foreign workers who died 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 were receiving outpatient treatment.
The island of Sulawesi is a major production center for nickel, a metal used in particular in electric car batteries and for the manufacture of stainless steel. China has invested heavily in factories there but the working and safety conditions there are often criticized.
– A flammable liquid –
According to the first elements of the investigation, the explosion occurred during repair work on a blast furnace. A flammable liquid ignited, and the fire spread to oxygen tanks which exploded, the spokesperson explained. The fire was extinguished on Sunday morning.
An employee of the site testified to the AFP about the seriousness of the victims’ injuries. “Their faces were burned and their clothes were completely charred,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
An industrial park manager, Rachmansyah Ismail, told Kompas TV channel that 25 injured people, mostly Indonesians, had been hospitalized, including 17 with serious injuries.
ITSS is a subsidiary of the world number one nickel producer, the Chinese group Tsingshan Holding Group, which also controls the 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 places of residence, while the remains of one victim were returned to the family.
In January, two workers, including a Chinese citizen, were killed at a nickel smelting plant located in the same industrial complex during a riot over pay conditions and workplace safety. In June, an accident at this factory left one dead and six injured.
© 2023 AFP
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