Two Workers Killed in Explosion at Intel's Kiryat Gat Chip Plant in Israel

Explosion at Intel's Kiryat Gat Fab

Two workers were confirmed dead and another seriously injured after an explosion at Intel's Kiryat Gat plant in southern Israel on Wednesday, according to The Times of Israel. Police suspect a gas cylinder malfunction caused the blast, which occurred during a material transfer into the factory's tanks after one truck had disconnected and another connected.

At least eight Fire and Rescue Services teams, including hazmat units, searched for trapped people, contained the fire, and monitored the hazardous substance. The Kiryat Gat police commander at the scene said he could not point to any suspicion of criminal activity or negligence at this point.

Toxic Gas and Injuries

Israel's Fire and Rescue Services said the fire involved nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), a toxic gas mainly used to clean the process chambers of chipmaking tools. The gas is hazardous if inhaled but is not flammable, and it remains unclear whether the trucks were delivering NF3 or if it was directly involved in causing the explosion.

Magen David Adom, Israel's national emergency medical service, said two of the injured underwent resuscitation efforts and all three suffered severe burns. One of the injured was pronounced dead, a second later died of their wounds, and one remains hospitalized in serious condition in the ICU, according to a statement from Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.

Once the fire was put out, crews kept cooling the scene to prevent a secondary incident. The commander said things appeared under control, with no sign of further leaks and no need to evacuate residents or factory workers. Kiryat Gat Mayor Kfir Suissa told residents to stay away while crews worked and added that there is no danger to the public.

Production Context

The site houses Fab 28, which Intel says makes processors, 5G, and AI products on Intel 7, formerly 10nm Enhanced SuperFin. Intel 7 products include 13th and 14th Gen Core "Raptor Lake," 5th Gen Xeon "Emerald Rapids," and the I/O die of Xeon 6 "Granite Rapids," although these are not explicitly linked to the site.

Intel has not made any statements about the victims or about potential production impacts at the site. Any delays would be problematic because Intel 7 capacity was already tight. Last year the company's CFO said Intel 7 and Intel 10 constraints had limited its ability to meet demand, with shortages expected into 2026 and server wafers getting priority.

Fab 38, adjacent to Intel's existing Kiryat Gat fabs, was announced in December 2023 with a $3.25 billion Israeli grant but has been paused since mid-2024. Intel reportedly considered closing Fab 28 in July 2025, but no closure decision has been announced. Intel reports third-quarter results on Oct. 29 and has not said whether it will address the explosion.

Sources: Tom's Hardware