Fire at Indonesia smelter claims 18 lives, stops operation

The number of fatalities from a fire at an Indonesian nickel smelter has increased to 18, up from 13 on Sunday, Indonesian local police reported on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the smelter’s operations are on hold as officials conduct an investigation into the incident’s origins.

The fire erupted in the early hours of Sunday morning at a nickel smelter furnace on Sulawesi island, which is the property of Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel (ITSS), a subsidiary of China’s Tsingshan Holding Group.

Djoko Wienartono, the spokesperson for Central Sulawesi police, announced that the casualties included eight workers from abroad. He added that the police are continuing their investigation into the fire’s origin. The foreign ministry of China confirmed that four Chinese nationals were among the first 13 deaths.

Dedy Kurniawan, a spokesperson for the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park where the plant is situated, stated on Tuesday that the plant’s operations will stay on hold while the investigation is ongoing.

Indonesia, the global leader in nickel production, has put a stop to the export of unprocessed nickel ore. At the same time, it’s encouraging substantial investments in smelting and processing. However, the sector has experienced several deadly incidents in recent years.

While recognising the importance of nickel processing for economic growth, President Joko Widodo has urged for better safety measures and stricter monitoring of environmental norms.