4 Chinese among 13 dead in Indonesian nickel factory explosion

Among 13 people killed in an explosion at a Chinese-funded nickel-processing plant in eastern Indonesia were four Chinese people, Beijing said on Monday.

"13 workers including four Chinese citizens have been killed, and dozens of others sustained injuries during an explosion," said Mao Ning, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman.

The factory blast in Sulawesi island, the latest in a string of industrial accidents in Indonesia, occurred during furnace maintenance on Sunday.

In June 2019, at least 30 people, including three children, were killed in a fire at a gas lighter factory in the North Sumatra province on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Nickel smelting is considered hazardous due to the need for high temperatures, up to 1,350 degrees Celsius (2,462 degrees Fahrenheit) to produce iron sulfide.