13 dead, 46 injured in explosion at Indonesia nickel plant

At least 13 people were killed and 46 injured in eastern Indonesia on Sunday (Dec 24) in an explosion at a Chinese-funded nickel-processing plant

At least 13 people were killed and 46 injured in eastern Indonesia on Sunday (Dec 24) in an explosion at a Chinese-funded nickel-processing plant, the owner of the industrial park that hosts the facility said.

The island of Sulawesi is a hub for the mineral-rich country's production of nickel, a base metal used for electric vehicle batteries and stainless steel, and Beijing's growing investment has stoked unrest over working conditions at its facilities.

The accident took place at around 5.30am (9.30pm on Saturday GMT) at a plant owned by Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel in the Morowali Industrial Park located in Central Sulawesi province, a spokesperson for the complex said in a statement.