Fire extinguisher
Fire extinguisherISTOCK

Two people were injured, one of them fatally, when a fire extinguisher exploded at an IDF base in central Israel Tuesday morning.

The incident occurred at the IDF base at Tel HaShomer, in Ramat Gan, when a fire extinguisher exploded, leaving one civilian employee who was working on the base in critical condition.

A second civilian was lightly injured in the explosion. The two employees were taken to the nearby Tel HaShomer Sheba medical center for treatment.

The critically injured employee, identified as 38-year-old Shai Gabbay from Givat Olga, later succumbed to his injuries, and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

It is unclear what caused the fire extinguisher to explode.

“An employee of the IDF was critically injured a short time ago while he was carrying out routine duties, as a result of the explosion of a fire extinguisher at a base in central Israel,” the IDF said in a statement.

“The injured man was evacuated to a hospital for treatment and his family has been informed. During the incident, an additional employee was lightly injured, and was evacuated to a hospital for treatment.”