At least 12 people were killed and 39 others injured in an explosion at a Chinese-funded nickel processing plant in eastern Indonesia today, an official at the industrial complex where the plant is located said.

The accident occurred at approximately 05:30 (local time, 23:30 last night Greek time) at a factory of PT Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel in the Morowali Industrial Park located on the island of Sulawesi, Dedi Kurniawan, a representative of the industrial company, said in a statement. zone.

“The current death toll is 51. Twelve people have been killed in the crash. There are 39 people with minor or serious injuries,” he added, while explaining that among the dead are seven Indonesians and five foreigners without specifying their nationalities.

According to the initial investigation, the blast occurred while a blast furnace was being repaired, when a flammable liquid caught fire and the fire spread to oxygen tanks, which exploded, the spokesman said. The fire was extinguished this morning.

The island of Sulawesi is a major center for the production of nickel, a material used mainly in electric vehicle batteries and to make stainless steel. China has invested heavily in factories in the region, but complaints about working conditions there are common.

Last year in January, two workers, including a Chinese, were killed at a nickel smelter in the same industrial complex during riots that had erupted demanding higher wages and improved workplace safety.