By Anadolu staff
ANKARA (AA) – The death toll of Chinese nationals among the 18 killed in an Indonesian factory fire has risen to eight, Beijing said on Wednesday.
"Eight Chinese nationals were among the 18 dead in Indonesia after a fire broke out at a nickel smelter on Sulawesi island over the weekend," Ifeng News reported, citing China's Foreign Ministry.
On Sunday, an explosion occurred at a Chinese-funded nickel-processing plant in eastern Indonesia during furnace maintenance.
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.
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.
*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid