Explosion at Intel Plant in Kiryat Gat Injures Three, One Critically

By רוני גרין שאולוב

Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba

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An explosion at the Intel factory in Kiryat Gat on Wednesday injured three workers, one critically, and two seriously. Police suspect a gas cylinder explosion, which led to a fire involving the toxic gas nitrogen trifluoride. Emergency services extinguished the fire and are monitoring the area for environmental impact. The situation is under control, and there is no ongoing danger to the public.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Three workers were injured, one critically, in an explosion at the Intel plant in Kiryat Gat.
Police suspect a gas cylinder explosion caused the incident at the factory.
A fire involved the toxic and hazardous gas nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃).
Emergency services extinguished the fire and are monitoring the site.
The situation is under control with no ongoing danger to the public.

Explosion at Intel Plant in Kiryat Gat Injures Three, One Critically — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Three people were seriously injured Wednesday afternoon in an explosion at the Intel factory in Kiryat Gat, with one person in critical condition and two others in serious condition. Paramedics performed resuscitation efforts on two of the injured. Police suspect a gas cylinder explosion caused the incident. Fire and Rescue Services reported that the subsequent fire, which has since been extinguished, involved nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃), a non-flammable but toxic gas dangerous to inhale.

Paramedics described the scene as complex, stating that two of the victims were initially without pulse or respiration. They administered life-saving resuscitation, including chest compressions, artificial respiration, and defibrillation, before stabilizing them and transporting them to Soroka Hospital.

Fire and Rescue stated that the toxic gas involved is nitrogen trifluoride, which is an oxidizer and hazardous if inhaled. Hazardous materials teams are conducting ongoing monitoring to assess risks. Police Commander Shei Alaleli indicated that the explosion likely occurred when one truck was emptying material into tanks at the factory and a second truck connected, suggesting a "failure." He added that the scene was being cooled to prevent further incidents and that the situation appeared to be under control, with no immediate indication of further leaks.

At least eight firefighting and rescue teams responded to the scene, conducting searches for trapped individuals, controlling the fire, monitoring the hazardous material, and preventing its spread. The Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ashkelon Cities Association are investigating the incident and its environmental implications.

Police secured the area, and the Mayor of Kiryat Gat, Kfir Suissa, initially advised residents to stay away. He later updated that the fire was completely extinguished and there was no danger to the public, though he urged people to avoid the area to allow emergency services to complete their work.