Suspected Hazardous Material Leak at Intel Plant Second Time in a Week

By מערכת ice

Translated & summarized from Ice by baba

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Hebrew · 9 newsrooms covering

A suspected hazardous material leak occurred at Intel's plant in Kiryat Gat on Monday, the second such incident in under a week. Employees were told to shelter in place as firefighters responded, with no injuries reported. The leak was discovered while investigators were examining last week's explosion, which involved nitrogen trifluoride and resulted from a tank rupture.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

A suspected hazardous material leak occurred at Intel's Kiryat Gat plant on Monday.
This is the second such incident at the facility in less than a week.
Employees were instructed to shelter in place during the response.
No injuries were reported in the latest incident.
Last week's explosion involved nitrogen trifluoride and a tank rupture.

Suspected Hazardous Material Leak at Intel Plant Second Time in a Week — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

A suspected hazardous material leak occurred at Intel's plant in Kiryat Gat on Monday morning, less than a week after a previous incident. Employees in the vicinity were instructed to shelter in place as firefighting units responded to the scene. No injuries were reported, and authorities stated there was no immediate danger. The suspicion arose while investigators from the Ministry of Labor and other bodies were examining the circumstances of last week's explosion, to determine if the current leak was a result of their investigation or another cause.

Last Wednesday, a powerful explosion, likely due to a malfunction, rocked the same Intel facility. Fire and rescue services indicated the incident stemmed from a technical failure involving the rupture of a tank containing eight tons of nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃). Police and emergency teams secured the area, conducted searches, and managed traffic to ensure public safety and facilitate a safe response.

The explosion generated a loud noise across the region, accompanied by thick black smoke and a fire at the Intel complex on Avitz Street. Specialized hazardous materials units were deployed, monitoring the situation and assessing risks related to the nitrogen trifluoride. Intel's Kiryat Gat plant is a critical component of the company's manufacturing operations in Israel and a significant high-tech and industrial hub for the country, producing millions of processors for global distribution. The facility operates under stringent safety protocols, with emergency events addressed immediately in coordination with regional fire and rescue teams.