13 Dead, Over 40 Hurt In Blast At Indonesia Nickel Plant

At least 13 people died and 46 were injured in Eastern Indonesia following an explosion at a Chinese-funded nickel-processing plant.

A Chinese worker who was injured in the explosion at a nickel smelter furnace is brought to the Morowali Regional General Hospital in Central Sulawesi

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An explosion at a Chinese-funded nickel-processing plant in eastern Indonesia claimed at least 13 lives on Sunday and left 46 injured. The incident took place at a plant owned by PT Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel in the Morowali Industrial Park in Central Sulawesi province at around 5:30 am (local time), according to a spokesperson of the complex, as reported by the Guardian. As per the initial investigation, repair work on a furnace was going on during which a flammable liquid ignited causing the blast near oxygen tanks which finally led to the explosion. 

The spokesperson said, "The confirmed number of fatalities is 13 people, consisting of nine Indonesian workers and four workers from China." He added that 46 others got injured primarily due to the exposure to hot steam. 

According to the Guardian, the fire was extinguished on Sunday morning.

The firm that runs the industrial park said that it was deeply saddened by the disaster, particularly for the families that got affected.