26-12-2023 (JAKARTA) The death toll from a devastating fire at an Indonesian nickel smelter has risen to 18, according to local police, with dozens of people still receiving treatment in hospitals. The incident occurred on Saturday morning as workers were conducting repairs on a furnace at a plant owned by PT Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel (ITSS), a subsidiary of China’s Tsingshan Holding Group, on Sulawesi Island.
Morowali police chief Suprianto informed AFP that the number of victims who lost their lives increased by five, resulting in a total of 18 fatalities. The fire was eventually extinguished later that day. Initial investigations indicate that the explosion occurred when residual slag from the furnace, which had been closed for maintenance, overflowed and came into contact with flammable materials in the vicinity.
ITSS operates as a tenant in the industrial park, which is predominantly owned by Tsingshan in partnership with local company Bintang Delapan. Sulawesi Island is a crucial hub for Indonesia’s nickel production, as the mineral-rich country plays a significant role in the global nickel market, supplying the base metal for electric vehicle batteries and stainless steel.
Indonesia, being the world’s largest producer of nickel, has implemented a ban on unprocessed nickel ore exports while encouraging substantial investments in smelting and processing. However, the sector has experienced several fatal accidents in recent years, prompting President Joko Widodo to emphasize the importance of safety improvements and enhanced monitoring of environmental standards, despite recognizing nickel processing as a priority for economic development.
Djoko Wienartono, spokesperson for the Central Sulawesi police, stated on Tuesday that among the victims were eight foreign workers, and investigations into the cause of the fire are still ongoing. China’s foreign ministry confirmed that four Chinese nationals were among the initial 13 casualties.
Dedy Kurniawan, spokesperson for the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park where the smelter is situated, announced that operations would remain suspended during the investigation. This incident follows a previous tragedy in January, when two workers, including a Chinese national, were killed at a nickel smelting plant within the same industrial park during a riot triggered by safety concerns and wage disputes.
In June, another fire at the same facility resulted in one fatality and six injuries, raising concerns about safety standards at facilities funded and operated by Chinese companies. The Indonesian government continues to emphasize the need for robust safety measures and strict adherence to regulations in order to prevent future accidents in the industry.
???? 13 workers — 8 Indonesians and 5 Chinese — were killed and 38 were injured on Sun Dec 24 in the explosion of a nickel smelter furnace owned by Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel (ITSS) — a majority-owned subsidiary of the world’s biggest nickel producer and China’s biggest… pic.twitter.com/H5dyZE3HSA
— Byron Wan (@Byron_Wan) December 24, 2023
