3 workers seriously hurt in apparent gas explosion at Intel plant in southern Israel

A blast at the Intel factory in Kiryat Gat on Wednesday afternoon seriously injured three workers, according to first responders, with police saying a gas cylinder appeared to have exploded at the plant.

The blast came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was touring the southern city. There were no apparent suspicions that the blast was the result of an attack or other hostile act.

Police said officers were looking into a possible leak of hazardous materials following the explosion.

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The Fire and Rescue Service, which was working to put out the flames, said it had deployed units trained to handle hazardous materials.

Two of the three workers were initially knocked unconscious and left without a pulse after the explosion, according to the Magen David Adom ambulance service, with medics successfully resuscitating the two with CPR and defibrillators.

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The two men’s condition was considered unstable and they were placed in an induced coma and were breathing with the help of a ventilator, MDA said.

The third wounded worker was in stable condition, according to the ambulance service.

All three suffered severe burns from the blast, MDA added.

According to the Fire Service, the blast likely caused exposure of nitrogen trifluoride, a colorless, nonflammable gas that is toxic to inhale. Units trained to handle hazardous material were “assessing the involvement of the material in the incident,” the service said, calling on the public not to approach the area.

The Kiryat Gat municipality also told residents to stay away from the area.

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