Two workers are dead and one is in intensive care after an explosion at Intel's Kiryat Gat fab in southern Israel on Wednesday. Police suspect a gas cylinder malfunction. The fire involved nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), a toxic gas used mainly to clean the process chambers of chipmaking tools. The Times of Israel reported the deaths.

Intel has said nothing about the victims. It has said nothing about production at the site either.

What happened at the site?

The Kiryat Gat police commander described the sequence: the blast occurred during a material transfer into the factory's tanks, after one truck disconnected and another connected. It remains unclear whether the trucks were delivering NF3 or whether the gas caused the explosion. NF3 is hazardous if inhaled but is not flammable.

At least eight Fire and Rescue Services teams, including hazmat units, searched for trapped people, contained the fire, and monitored the hazardous substance. After the fire went out, crews kept cooling the scene to prevent a secondary incident.

"At this moment, I cannot point to any suspicion of criminal activity or negligence," the commander said.

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

Kiryat Gat Mayor Kfir Suissa told residents to stay away while crews worked. "There is no danger to the public," he said. The commander added that things appeared under control, with no sign of further leaks and no need to evacuate residents or factory workers.

What does this change for Intel's supply chain?

The Kiryat Gat 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" — though Intel has not explicitly linked these parts to the site.

There's no word yet on possible production delays. But any disruption would hurt. Intel 7 capacity was already tight: the company's CFO said last year that Intel 7 and Intel 10 constraints had limited its ability to meet demand, with shortages expected into 2026 and server wafers getting priority.

The site's future was already in question before Wednesday. Intel reportedly considered closing Fab 28 in July 2025, though no closure decision has been announced. Fab 38, adjacent to the existing Kiryat Gat fabs, was announced in December 2023 with a $3.25 billion Israeli grant but has been paused since mid-2024.

Intel reports third-quarter results on Oct. 29 and will hold a call to discuss them. The company has not said whether it will address the explosion.