Indonesia: 13 people die in an explosion
An explosion at a Chinese-funded nickel processing plant in eastern Indonesia killed at least 13 people and injured dozens more on Sunday, local media reported.
The explosion took place in a smelting furnace in the Morowali nickel industrial park on the island of Sulawesi, a hub of Indonesian nickel production, local television station Metro TV reported.
In a statement, a spokesman for the complex confirmed the death of 13 people, including eight Indonesian and five Chinese employees, and the injury of 38 others. At least 17 injured are said to be in a serious condition.
The explosion, the latest in a series of industrial accidents in Indonesia, occurred during maintenance work on a furnace at 5:30 am (21:30 GMT).
Images broadcast on several local television channels showed flames and plumes of smoke rising from the facility, as rescue workers struggled to extinguish the fire.
In June 2019, at least 30 people, including three children, died in a fire at a gas lighter factory in the Binjali district of North Sumatra province.
