Kan NewsSecurity18:07

Second Fatality Confirmed in Intel Factory Explosion in Kiryat Gat

By איציק זוארץ

Translated & summarized from Kan News by baba

PublicNeutral tone

Hebrew · 3 newsrooms covering

Yakir Koshevili, 36, is the second worker to die in an explosion at Intel's Kiryat Gat factory, with Ilya Chechulin, 49, being the first fatality. A third worker is in serious condition. The explosion is suspected to have been caused by a high-pressure gas tank malfunction, and investigators are examining the cause of the detachment.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Yakir Koshevili, 36, and Ilya Chechulin, 49, both from Beersheba, died in the Intel factory explosion.
A third worker remains in serious condition in the intensive care unit.
The explosion at Intel's Kiryat Gat factory is suspected to be from a high-pressure gas tank.
Investigators are examining whether wear or another malfunction caused the tank component to detach.
Intel expressed deep sorrow and condolences to the families of the deceased workers.

Yakir Koshevili, a 36-year-old resident of Beersheba, is the second person to die following an explosion at Intel's factory in Kiryat Gat. The name of the first fatality, 49-year-old Ilya Chechulin, also from Beersheba, was released earlier. A third individual, in their 20s, remains in serious condition, sedated and on a ventilator in the internal intensive care unit.

Intel expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of the two employees, extending condolences to their families, friends, and colleagues. The company stated, "We are deeply pained by the deaths of two employees following the tragic incident at the Kiryat Gat site, and we share in the grief of their families, friends, and colleagues."

Preliminary findings from the investigation suggest the explosion was caused by the detachment of a component from an eight-ton tank containing high-pressure gas. The gas was released suddenly and with immense force, leading to the explosion. While the gas itself is not flammable, it can ignite other materials. Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the tank component's detachment, examining possibilities such as wear and tear or other malfunctions, and assessing whether the disaster could have been prevented.