Three injured in Intel explosion in Israel

Credit: Jerusalem Post

Via The Verge and the Jerusalem Post: 

Three people were seriously injured in a blast at an Intel factory in Kiryat Gat on Wednesday, caused by what Israel Police suspect to be a gas cylinder explosion.

Israel's Fire and Rescue Authority initially warned that hazardous chemicals may have leaked following the explosion. Firefighters worked to identify the source of the chemicals and extinguish the ensuing fire, which has since been put out.

The Fire and Rescue Authority said the incident involved nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), a non-flammable gas with oxidizing properties...

...Yanaki Weinberg, deputy head of United Hatzalah’s Kiryat Gat branch, and paramedic Moshe Winfeld said they treated a man around 45 who was critically injured and suffered burns across his body. He was transported by a United Hatzalah ambulance to meet an intensive care ambulance while resuscitation efforts were underway. The team delivered two electric shocks using a defibrillator during the journey, and the man's heart miraculously began beating again. He was then transferred to Soroka Medical Center by intensive care ambulance.

Hila Rinkoff and Zvi Levin, paramedics with a second United Hatzalah ambulance team at the scene, said they evacuated another man, around 30, who was also critically injured, to meet an intensive care ambulance while resuscitation efforts were underway.

It will be good to follow this one - we don't often see serious chemical incidents of this kind (explosions) in the semiconductor manufacturing industry.