Page 10 - Indonesia

Furnace explosion: Death toll hits 18 in Indonesian nickel plant incident

The death toll following the explosion of a smelting furnace at a Chinese-owned nickel plant on Indonesia's Sulawesi island rose to 18 on Tuesday, as police ordered the plant to stop operations until an investigation into the incident is completed. The accident, which occurred on Sunday, was the latest in a series of deadly incidents at nickel smelting plants in Indonesia that are part of China's ambitious transnational development program known as the Belt and Road Initiative. Nickel is a key component in global battery production for electric vehicles. Four Chinese and nine Indonesian workers died instantly on Sunday when the furnace exploded while they were repairing it, said Central Sulawesi police chief Agus Nugroho. Three more victims died a day later while being treated at a local hospital. Two more workers died on Tuesday at the hospital, bringing the total number of fatalities to 18, including eight workers from China, said Deddy Kurniawan, a spokesperson for PT Indonesia

Explosion at Chinese-owned Nickel plant kills at least 13, injures 46

A smelting furnace exploded on Sunday at a Chinese-owned nickel plant on Indonesia's Sulawesi island, killing at least 13 workers and injuring dozens of others, police and a company official said. It was the latest in a series of deadly incidents at nickel smelting plants in Indonesia that are part of China's ambitious transnational development programme known as the Belt and Road Initiative. Nickel is a key component in global battery production for electric vehicles. At least four Chinese and nine Indonesian workers died when the furnace exploded while they were repairing it, said Central Sulawesi police chief Agus Nugroho. The blast was so powerful it demolished the furnace and damaged parts of the side walls of the building, said Nugroho, adding that about 46 workers were injured, including 14 Chinese nationals, some in critical condition. Authorities are working to determine whether negligence by the company led to the deaths, Nugroho said. The accident occurred at PT Indone

Furnace explosion at Chinese-owned nickel plant in Indonesia kills 13

A smelting furnace exploded Sunday at a Chinese-owned nickel plant on Indonesia's Sulawesi island, killing at least 13 workers and injuring dozens of others, police and a company official said. It was the latest of a series of deadly accidents at nickel smelting plants in Indonesia that are part of China's ambitious transnational development program known as the Belt and Road Initiative. Nickel is a key component in global battery production for electric vehicles. At least five Chinese and eight Indonesian workers died when the furnace suddenly exploded while they were repairing it, said Central Sulawesi police chief Agus Nugroho. The blast was so powerful it demolished the furnace and damaged parts of the side walls of the building, said Nugroho, adding that about 38 workers were hospitalised, some in critical condition. Authorities are working to determine whether negligence by the company led to the deaths, Nugroho said. The accident occurred at PT Indonesia Tsingshan Stainles

Indonesia secures rice import commitments from India, Thailand: Report

Jokowi, as the president is known, said while Indonesia's headline inflation is low, he remains concerned about food prices and imports would help secure supply

More bodies found after sudden eruption of Indonesia's Mount Marapi

Rescuers searching the hazardous slopes of Indonesia's Mount Marapi volcano found the last body of climbers who were caught by a surprise weekend eruption, raising the number of confirmed dead to 23, officials said Wednesday. About 75 climbers started their way up the nearly 2,900-metre mountain in Agam district of West Sumatra province on Saturday and became stranded. Some 52 climbers were rescued after the initial eruption Sunday, and 11 others were initially confirmed dead. New eruptions on Monday and Tuesday spewed more hot ash as high as 800 metres into the air, reducing visibility and temporarily halting search and recovery operations, said Abdul Malik, chief of the Padang Search and Rescue Agency. The bodies of two climbers were located on Monday and nine more on Tuesday, the National Search and Rescue Agency said. West Sumatra's Police Chief Suharyono said the body of the last climber was found early Wednesday, just a few metres from the eruption site, bringing the death to

Indonesia: Marapi volcano erupts again, halting search for missing climbers

Indonesian authorities halted the search for 12 climbers after Mount Marapi volcano erupted again Monday, spewing a new burst of hot ash as high as 800 meters (2,620 feet) into the air, officials said. The bodies of 11 climbers were recovered earlier in the day but attempts to move them were hindered by the renewed eruption, West Sumatra's Search and Rescue Agency head Abdul Malik said. The search operation would resume once conditions improved, he added. A video released by the agency showed rescuers evacuating an injured climber on a stretcher off the mountain and into a waiting ambulance to be taken to hospital. Marapi initially erupted on Sunday spewing clouds of hot ash. The volcano has stayed at the third highest of four alert levels since 2011, a level indicating above-normal volcanic activity, prohibiting climbers and villagers within 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) of the peak, said Hendra Gunawan, the head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation. This m

11 bodies recovered, 22 missing after volcanic eruption in Indonesia

The bodies of 11 climbers were recovered Monday after a furious eruption of the Mount Marapi volcano as Indonesian rescuers searched for at least 22 others reportedly missing. Mount Marapi in Agam district in West Sumatra province spewed thick columns of ash as high as 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) into the sky in a sudden eruption Sunday and hot ash clouds spread several miles (kilometers). Villages and nearby towns were blanketed by tons of volcanic debris. About 75 climbers started their way up the nearly 2,900-meter (9,480-foot) mountain on Saturday and became stranded. Eight of those rescued Sunday were rushed to hospitals with burn wounds and one also had a broken limb, said Hari Agustian, an official at the local Search and Rescue Agency in Padang, the provincial capital. West Sumatra's Search and Rescue Agency head Abdul Malik said rescuers on Monday morning found 11 bodies of climbers as they searched for those who still missing and rescued three others. The evacuation proces

India, Asean launch 5-day millets fest to raise awareness, create market

India and ASEAN Wednesday launched a five-day Millets Festival here in the Indonesian capital, a move aimed at raising awareness and creating a market for millets and millets-based products among the 10-member bloc. The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) participated in the ASEAN-India Summit and East Asia Summit on September 7. During the ASEAN-India summit, one of the joint statements adopted was about food security," India's Ambassador to ASEAN Jayant Khobragade said. "In two months we are having the Millet festival which also covers food security. That is how effectively our comprehensive strategic partnership is working, he said. Describing Millets as one of the important elements for ensuring food security, he said this was very well in the overall framework of the ASEAN-India relationship. There is a lot of interest. For this millet festival, we have representation not only from Indian farmers and industrialists but also from ASEAN member states, he added. Khobragade also ...

Strong quake shakes eastern Indonesia, no damage or casualties reported

A strong, deep undersea earthquake shook the eastern side of Indonesia on Wednesday with no immediate reports of casualties or damages in the area. The 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit an area 94 kilometers (58 miles) west of Tobelo in Indonesia's North Maluku province, at a depth of 116 kilometers (72 miles). Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency said there was no potential danger of a tsunami but warned of possible aftershocks. Indonesia, a vast archipelago and a home of more than 270 million people, is frequently hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because of its location on the so-called Ring of Fire, an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Basin. A magnitude 5.6 earthquake last year killed at least 331 people and injured nearly 600 in West Java's Cianjur city. It was the deadliest in Indonesia since a 2018 quake and tsunami in Sulawesi killed about 4,340 people. In 2004, an extremely powerful Indian Ocean quake set off a tsunami that killed more th

Tea and nickel on agenda as Biden hosts Indonesian President Widodo

President Joe Biden will host Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the White House on Monday, one day before the US leader leaves for San Francisco to attend a summit of Asian leaders. The two presidents will share an afternoon tea and meet with top advisers, according to senior administration officials who insisted on anonymity to preview the schedule. They will also talk about ways to expand the trade of critical minerals like nickel, which can be used to produce electric vehicle batteries. Indonesia is the world's largest producer of nickel. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said they will explore opportunities to enhance cooperation on the clean energy transition, advance economic prosperity, bolster regional peace and stability, and reinforce our people-to-people ties. Biden's meeting with Widodo comes shortly before he sits down with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Indonesia is the world's third-large

Hamas using Qatari, Indonesian-funded hospitals for terror, says Israel

"Hamas is hiding behind hospitals, sickly behind hospitals to hide its war machine," Hagar said

Strong earthquake shakes Timor region of Indonesia, no deaths reported

An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 struck Indonesia's Timor island on Thursday, causing panic and light damages to several buildings and houses but there no immediate reports of casualties. The US Geological Survey reported the quake had a depth of 36.1 kilometers (22.4 miles) and its epicenter was located 21 kilometers (13 miles) north-northeast of Kupang, the capital city of East Nusa Tenggara province. Daryono, who heads the Earthquake and Tsunami Center at Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency, said the land-based quake was causing panic as it was strongly felt in several cities and villages. The agency measured a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 for the quake and then revised it to 6.3. Variations in early measurements of quakes are common. The USGS reported that the quake had a magnitude of 6.1. The quake has caused light damages in several buildings and houses, wrote Daryono, who goes by a single name, on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter,

India and Indonesia risk the biggest fallout from geopolitical shocks

Economists are fretting over the fallout on developing Asia from a widening of the Israel-Hamas war, with policymakers struggling to assess the consequences for oil supply

VinFast Auto earmarks $200 mn for assembly units in India, Indonesia

Vietnam's electric car maker VinFast Auto on Thursday said it is planning to invest up to USD 200 million (nearly Rs 1,665 crore) to set up assembly units in India and Indonesia with production expected to commence by 2026. VinFast, a competitor of American electric carmaker Tesla, "is aiming to access the tremendous potential for increased EV adoption in India and Indonesia where EV penetration is currently only 1 per cent", the company said, citing media reports in its third quarter earnings statement. "The establishment of VinFast facilities in these local markets can provide access to government incentives for local manufacturing, relief from certain tariffs and taxes and access to raw materials at attractive rates," it said. Each CKD (completely knocked down) facility in "Indonesia and India has a planned total capacity of up to 50,000 cars per year and an estimated total capital expenditure of USD 150-200 million in phase 1", the company said, adding, "Production is expected t

Regret Indonesia's decision to ban e-commerce sales on social media: TikTok

Chinese-owned app TikTok on Thursday said it regretted the Indonesian government's decision to ban e-commerce transactions on social media platforms, particularly the impact it would have on the millions of sellers who use TikTok Shop. But TikTok Indonesia said in a statement they will respect the regulations and laws that apply in Indonesia and will take a constructive path forward. We deeply regret the government's announcement, especially how it will impact the livelihoods of the six million sellers and nearly seven million affiliate creators who use TikTok Shop, said the statement sent to The Associated Press on Thursday. Indonesia banned goods transactions on social media platforms such as TikTok in a bid to protect small businesses from e-commerce competition, accusing them of predatory pricing. Indonesia's Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan on Monday announced the decision after a meeting with President Joko Widodo. The ban is to prevent the domination of the algorithm and preven

Major blow to TikTok, Indonesia bans e-commerce sales on social media

The move comes just three months after TikTok pledged to invest billion of dollars in Southeast Asia, mainly in Indonesia, over next few years in major push to build e-commerce platform TikTok Shop

Asiad 2023: A look at India's medal tally in 2018 Jakarta-Palembang games

India's medal tally at the Jakarta Asian Games 2018 was the best ever by the country in the history of the games. In spite of that, it was ranked 8th overall

Earthquake of magnitude 6.0 jolts east of Kotamobagu in Indonesia: NCS

An earthquake of magnitude 6.0 on Monday struck 352 km east of Kotamobagu, Sulawesi, Indonesia, the National Centre of Seismology (NCS) reported. "Earthquake of Magnitude: 6.0, Occurred on 11-09-2023, 18:21:33 IST, Lat: 1.14 & Long: 127.46, Depth: 150 Km, Location: 352km E of Kotamobagu, Sulawesi, Indonesia," the NCS said in a post on 'X' on Monday. The National Centre of Seismology has pegged the magnitude at 6.0. The quake hit at a depth of 150 km beneath the epicentre near Kotamobagu, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Further details are awaited.

LIVE: PM Modi arrives at Delhi after attending Asean-India Summit

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PM leaves for India after Jakarta visit to attend ASEAN, East Asia summits

Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for home on Thursday after wrapping up a short but fruitful and productive visit to Indonesia to attend the ASEAN-India and East Asia summits during which he reaffirmed India's strong ties with the countries in the strategically key region. The prime minister arrived in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, in the morning. "PM @narendramodi concludes his visit to Indonesia, forging stronger partnerships with ASEAN and EAS partners," the Ministry of External Affairs posted on X. "Had a very short but fruitful Indonesia visit, where I met ASEAN and other leaders. I thank President @jokowi, the Indonesian Government and the people for their welcome," Prime Minister Modi posted on X. "The prime minister has just completed a very short but very productive visit to Jakarta to participate in the ASEAN-India Summit and the East Asia Summit," Secy (East) Saurabh Kumar said. The prime minister's participation in the summit will give India-ASEAN relations a strat