Chemical technician dies from trimethylindium fire

Sad news from a Dow facility in North Andover, Massachusetts (C&EN story by Jyllian Kemsley):

An Oct. 9 fire at a Dow Chemical electronic materials facility in North Andover, Mass., resulted in the death of production operator Carlos A. Amaral, 51. The cause of the fire was exposure of trimethylindium to air, according to a press release issued by the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal. Trimethylindium ignites spontaneously in air. 

Amaral died from injuries sustained in the fire. He may have been working alone in the lab where it occurred, said North Andover Fire Department Chief Andrew V. Melnikas. “No one knows exactly what happened,” he added.

From his obituary:

Carlos enjoyed watching soccer, and was a huge fan of Benfica. He enjoyed traveling, especially returning home to his native Portugal. 

He previously worked at Wang Laboratories in the 1980's, and for the past 14 years worked as a chemical technician for Dow Chemical in North Andover.

Condolences to his family.