Two killed, one seriously hurt in explosion at Intel’s chip plant in Israel

Two workers have been confirmed dead and another seriously injured after an explosion at Intel’s Kiryat Gat plant in southern Israel on Wednesday, The Times of Israel reports. Police suspect a gas cylinder malfunction caused the explosion, and 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. So far, Intel hasn’t made any statements about the victims or about any potential production impacts at the site.

The site houses Fab 28, which, per Intel, 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. 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.

The Kiryat Gat police commander at the scene laid out the sequence: a blast 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, searched for trapped people, contained the fire, and monitored the hazardous substance.

“At this moment, I cannot point to any suspicion of criminal activity or negligence,” the commander added. Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency medical service, said two of the injured underwent resuscitation efforts and all three suffered severe burns. Ultimately, one of the injured was pronounced dead, a second later died of their wounds, and one remains hospitalized in serious condition inside the ICU, based on a statement from Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.

The gas, although hazardous if inhaled, is not flammable. It’s not clear if the trucks were delivering NF3 or if it was directly involved in causing the explosion. Once the fire was put out, crews kept cooling the scene to prevent a secondary incident, and the commander said things appeared to be under control, with no sign so far 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, “There is no danger to the public.”

At the time, there was no word on possible production delays, but these would be problematic as Intel 7 capacity was already tight. Last year the company’s CFO said that Intel 7 and Intel 10 constraints had limited its ability to meet demand, with shortages expected into 2026 with server wafers getting priority. Intel reports third-quarter results on Oct. 29 and will hold a call to discuss them, although the company has not mentioned whether it will address the explosion.

Follow Tom’s Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.