A nickel smelting furnace has leaked liquid that is 1,400 degrees Celsius, causing a devastating fire Morowali Regency, Indonesia, on August 9.

Dedy Kurniawan, a spokesperson for the furnace, said: “When it spilled, it was thought to be a fire. In fact, it is a hot liquid with a temperature of around 1,400 degrees Celsius. The team then secured the location and stopped work."

At the time of the incident, there were around 40 workers at the furnace. All workers are safe without anyone being injured.

The cause of incident is not known.

Nickel Smelter Furnace Leaks hot liquid at 1,400 degrees Celsius Burns in Indonesia, Liquid Metal Overflows, causing devastating fire.

The nickel smelting furnace in Indonesia belonging to the company PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP), which is located in Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, leaked and overflowed, on August 9 2024.

Nickel liquid suddenly came out of the furnace, where dozens of workers were working in the nickel ore smelting furnace.

Although there were no casualties, the operation of the furnace was temporarily stopped.

Nickel liquid suddenly came out of the furnace, where dozens of workers were working in the nickel ore smelting furnace

Media Relations Head of PT IMIP Dedy Kurniawan said that the release of nickel liquid occurred during the pouring process for molding into stainless steel. The furnace cannot control the liquid so it comes out and overflows.

“When it spilled, it was thought to be a fire. In fact, it is a hot liquid with a temperature of around 1,400 degrees Celsius. "The team then secured the location and stopped work," said Dedy, when confirmed on August 12 2024.

At the time of the incident, there were around 40 workers at the furnace. All workers are safe without anyone being injured. Security officers were then deployed along with four fire trucks for the cooling process which lasted around 40 minutes.

Even though there were no casualties, Dedy said that his party would still temporarily stop operating the furnace. The suspension is carried out for an undetermined time. An investigation team has also been deployed to investigate the incident.

It is known that a number of things could be the main cause of nickel liquid spilling, ranging from human error, the furnace mechanical system, to nickel pouring techniques.

”The team is working. There are internal sources, the Ministry of Manpower and the Ministry of Industry. "Of course to find out the cause and evaluate this incident," he added.

It is known that PT IMIP is a joint venture between Bintang Empat Group from Indonesia and Tsingshan Steel Group from China.