TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Operator of Morowali nickel plant may face penalties after deadly explosion
Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said the disciplinary action would vary depending on the results of the ongoing investigation.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP), in North Konawe, Central Sulawesi, is pictured on May 14, 2023. At least 13 people were killed and 38 injured in the park on Dec. 24, 2023, in an explosion at a Chinese-funded nickel-processing plant owned by PT Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel (ITSS). (AFP/Riza Salman)
T
he government is considering penalizing Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel (ITSS), a nickel smelter operator in Morowali, Central Sulawesi, over a fire that broke out at a plant under its control in late December 2023.
Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said the disciplinary action would vary depending on the results of the ongoing investigation.
The government would let the police handle any criminal charges that might result from the investigation, he said, but the Manpower Ministry would deal with any occupational health and safety violations.
“Regarding the business license of the company, we will see the extent of responsibility related to management. We’ll evaluate everything,” he said on Wednesday, as quoted by Antara.
On Dec. 24, 2023, an explosion at a nickel processing factory in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) in Central Sulawesi rekindled industry-wide work safety concerns and public scrutiny.
At least 10 Indonesians and eight Chinese workers were killed in the incident, while 41 others were injured, according to IMIP, which is owned by ITSS.
Read also: As death toll rises, Morowali blast brings work safety squarely into focus
