A smelting furnace exploded today at a nickel plant on Indonesia's Sulawesi island, killing at least 13 workers and injuring dozens of others. The plant is owned by a Chinese company. It was the latest of 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. At least four Chinese and nine Indonesian workers died when the furnace exploded while they were repairing it, police said. The blast was so powerful it demolished the furnace and damaged parts of the side walls of the building. Police added that about 46 workers were injured, including four Chinese nationals, some in critical condition. Local authorities are working to determine the cause of the explosion. Source: Oman News Agency