An explosion has killed at least 13 workers and injured 38 others at a nickel-processing plant in Indonesia on Sunday.
The plant is owned by Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel (ITSS) on Sulawesi island, the owner of the industrial park where the smelter is located said.
The blast happened around 5:30 am (2130 GMT Saturday) in the Morowali Industrial Park located in Central Sulawesi province, a spokesperson for the complex Dedy Kurniawan said in a statement.
The statement said eight Indonesians and five foreign workers were killed, without identifying their nationalities. The plant is funded by China.
An initial investigation showed the explosion happened during repair work on a furnace when a flammable liquid ignited and the subsequent blast caused nearby oxygen tanks to explode as well, the official said.
'Deeply saddened'
The fire was successfully extinguished on Sunday morning, the authorities said.
The firm that runs the industrial park said it was "deeply saddened" by the disaster and said the remains of several identified victims had been flown home.
The island is a hub for the mineral-rich country's production of nickel, a base metal used for electric vehicle batteries and stainless steel, and China's growing investment has stoked unrest over working conditions at its facilities.
In January, two workers including a Chinese national were killed at a nickel smelting plant in the same industrial park after a riot broke out during a protest over safety conditions and pay
