Two workers die after explosion at Intel's plant in Kiryat Gat

Two workers have died following an explosion at the Intel plant in Kiryat Gat, Israeli media reported, and a third person injured in the blast remains in hospital in serious condition. Ynetnews reported that a 49-year-old man died at Soroka Medical Center a day after the explosion, and that a gas technician had been killed on Wednesday, the day of the blast.

The two men have been named. According to Ynet, they are Yakir Kosashvili, 35, and Ilya Chechulin, 49. On the day of the explosion, the Prime Minister's Office said Benjamin Netanyahu had spoken with the head of Israel's emergency medical service about the condition of the injured, and was told they had been taken quickly to Soroka Medical Center for treatment.

What the government said

In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office said Netanyahu had received an update from Eli Bin, Director General of Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's national emergency medical and ambulance service, which is roughly equivalent to a paramedic service in other countries. Bin told the prime minister that the injured had been evacuated swiftly. Netanyahu wished them a speedy recovery and thanked rescue teams, describing their response as acting "swiftly and decisively". The statement did not give the number of injured or their condition.

The victims

Ynet reported that Chechulin was pronounced dead at Soroka, which brought the death toll to two, and described him as a resident of Beersheba. The same outlet said the third casualty, also an employee of the technology company, was being treated in serious condition.

Kosashvili's name was cleared for publication later. Reports differ on where he lived. News.co.il said he was a resident of Beersheba, as did a Ynet article. A Ynet news alert, however, identified him as being from Ofakim. Ynet also quoted the mayor paying tribute, saying "our hearts are with the dear families", without the excerpt available to us making clear which city's mayor was speaking.

The reports also differ on the order in which the two men died. Ynet's later article described Kosashvili as the first fatality, saying his death was pronounced on the night of the explosion, and Chechulin as the second. News.co.il referred to Kosashvili as the second person killed. Ynetnews, in an earlier English report, said a gas technician died on the day of the blast and the 49-year-old died the following day.

What may have caused the blast

Two explanations appear in the reporting, published at different times. Ynetnews and an earlier Ynet article said the suspicion was that a gas cylinder had blown up while trucks were being unloaded. A later Ynet article said a preliminary investigation pointed to a rare technical fault that caused a container holding eight tons of nitrogen to explode. It is not clear from the reports whether the second account replaces the first or describes the same event in more detail.

Where this happened

Kiryat Gat is a city in southern Israel, and Intel, the American chip maker, operates a manufacturing facility there. Soroka Medical Center is the main hospital in Beersheba, the largest city in the Negev desert region, and serves much of the south of the country. Ofakim is a smaller town in the same region. News.co.il said the explosion took place around midday.

What the reports do not say

• Which body is leading the investigation, and whether the findings Ynet described are official or preliminary assessments from people at the site.
• Whether the cause was a gas cylinder, a nitrogen container, or both described differently.
• Where Kosashvili lived, since outlets give both Beersheba and Ofakim.
• Which of the two men died first; the outlets do not agree.
• Whether Intel has issued a statement, and whether operations at the plant were affected.
• The identity and current condition of the third injured worker beyond being described as serious.