Second Dangerous Leak at Intel Plant in Israel in a Week

Intel's plant in Kiryat Gat, Israel, reported a suspected hazardous substance leak on Monday, October 19. This incident occurred less than a week after a fatal reservoir explosion at the same facility. Employees were instructed to shelter indoors due to the potential danger. Fire department dispatch received a report from plant workers who discovered the leak. Emergency response teams, including specialized hazardous materials units from Ashkelon, are on site. They are monitoring the leak, working to stabilize the situation, and collecting samples. The incident is contained within the plant premises, posing no threat to the surrounding community, and there are no reported injuries from this latest event.

On October 14, a gas cylinder exploded during truck unloading at the Kiryat Gat Intel plant, triggering a fire and a release of nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). This prior incident resulted in the deaths of two employees, Ilya Chechulin and Yakir Kosashvili. A third employee, in his early twenties, was hospitalized in critical condition, placed in a medically induced coma, and put on a ventilator.

The head of Kiryat Gat police suggested the explosion was due to a technical malfunction, not criminal negligence. Fire service investigators believe a technical failure, possibly related to the "bursting" of a tank containing eight tons of NF3, was the likely cause. It remains unclear if the failure was due to wear and tear or if it could have been prevented.

Paramedics Yuval Elias and Muad Al-Amor, who responded to the October 14 incident, described it as severe, with three victims suffering extensive burns. Two individuals had no pulse or respiration upon their arrival. They performed resuscitation efforts, including CPR, artificial respiration, and defibrillation, before transporting all three victims to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba in critical condition.