Full coverage· Security· Updated 11:55

Second Death Reported Following Explosion at Intel Plant

A second worker has died following an explosion at the Intel factory in Kiryat Gat, which occurred on Wednesday afternoon. The victim, a 49-year-old employee, succumbed to severe, multi-system injuries on Thursday morning at Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva. A gas equipment technician had already passed away on Wednesday evening from injuries sustained in the same blast, while a third worker in his twenties remains hospitalized in serious condition, sedated and on a ventilator.

25 newsrooms · 4 languages · since 14 Oct, 14:55

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What happened

01A 49-year-old worker died Thursday morning from injuries sustained in an explosion at the Intel factory in Kiryat Gat.
02A gas equipment technician died Wednesday evening, bringing the total death toll from the factory explosion to two.
03A third worker in his twenties remains hospitalized in serious condition at Soroka Medical Center, sedated and on a ventilator.
04The explosion occurred Wednesday afternoon during the unloading of nitrogen gas from a delivery truck at the factory entrance.
05The blast triggered a fire and a leak of nitrogen trifluoride, a toxic and hazardous gas, which was contained by eight firefighting teams.
06Kiryat Gat Mayor Kfir Suissa urged the public to stay away from the site due to the hazardous materials involved.
07The Ministry of Environmental Protection is investigating the circumstances of the incident and its environmental consequences.
08Kiryat Gat police commander Shai Aleli stated that investigators currently suspect a technical malfunction rather than criminal activity or negligence.

The explosion occurred at the factory entrance during a routine operation to unload nitrogen gas from delivery trucks. According to police, the blast took place after a first truck completed its transfer and a second truck connected to the system, apparently caused by a gas cylinder detonating. The incident triggered a fire and a leak of nitrogen trifluoride, a toxic and hazardous gas. Eight fire and rescue teams, including hazardous materials specialists, responded to contain the blaze and monitor the chemical leak.

Kiryat Gat Mayor Kfir Suissa urged the public to stay away from the area, characterizing the event as a hazardous materials incident. The Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ashkelon Cities Association dispatched representatives to assess the environmental impact. Police investigators, led by Kiryat Gat station commander Shai Aleli, stated that there is no current suspicion of criminal activity or negligence, pointing instead to an unusual technical malfunction during the unloading process.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 14 newsrooms. Updated 11:06

Latest report: Ynet. Read Ynet’s original