Foreigner From China Dies In Nickel Smelter Fire In Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan

Illustration of the corpse (ANTARA)

BALIKPAPAN - Police are coordinating with Immigration in dealing with the bodies of a foreigner from China, CW (40), an employee of PT Kalimantan Ferro Industri (KFI) who died in a fire at the company's nickel smelter.

"Later, the immigration authorities will contact the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta, before it is submitted to the families of the victims in their country. Whether this victim wants to be repatriated or buried here," said Head of Public Relations (Humas) of the East Kalimantan Police (Kaltim) Kombes Pol Yusuf Sutejo, in Balikpapan, quoted by ANTARA, Friday, October 13.

Previously, the body was autopsied at Bhayangkara Balikpapan Hospital to find out the cause of death officially. The handling of the victims who died, said Kombes Yusuf, was in accordance with the standard operating procedure (SOP) of the police.

The fire that occurred at PT KFI's nickel smelter factory in Pen Colder, Sanga-Sanga, Kutai Kartanegara Regency, on Wednesday, also resulted in JL (49 years old) experiencing burns of up to 75 percent. JL is being treated intensively at Abdul Wahab Sjachranie Hospital in Samarinda.

The PT KFI nickel smelter factory was just inaugurated by the Governor of East Kalimantan Isran Noor on September 19, 2023. This nickel ore processing plant absorbs up to 1,700 workers, most of whom are residents around Sanga-Sanga.

In this smelter, nickel ore is processed, melted, and curvature, by heating it at high temperatures to get a product, among others, called nickelcurrency or ferronickel.

Nickel happenede is the raw material for the battery industry for electric vehicles, zero emissions vehicles which in the future are calculated to replace fueled vehicles (BBM).

This is because the importance of the products it produces, said Kombes Yusuf, nickel smelters are a vital national object, the status of the area which makes it maximally secured by the police.