Explosion at Indonesian nickel plant kills 19 workers

By Rebecca Trager2024-01-03T15:36:00

In Indonesia, uniformed police officers and workers in safety equipment at an industrial plant

Source: © Associated Press/Alamy Stock Photo

Police halt operations at the nickel smelting facility on Sulawesi island, while workers call for better safety measures

An explosion at a Chinese-owned nickel smelting plant on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi the day before Christmas has killed at least 19 people, and injured dozens more. The incident appears to be the latest in a series of safety failings in the area.

According to local media reports, the deadly incident at the nickel smelter complex in Indonesia happened when workers were fixing a furnace at a plant owned by PT Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel, which is controlled by the Chinese Tsingshan Holding Group, in the Morowali industrial park in Sulawesi.