The second employee who died yesterday in a refinery accident in Ashdod has been identified as Irina Radchuk, 52, a resident of Ashdod who immigrated to Israel from Ukraine.
Radchuk, a senior chemical engineer with a master’s degree, had worked at the factory since 2018. She is survived by her husband, Viktor, and their daughter.
She died alongside her colleague, Nitzan Goichman, 39, also a chemical engineer and Ashdod resident, who leaves behind a husband and three children.
At the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, authorities have been conducting examinations for more than a day to determine the cause of death for both women. Preliminary findings suggest that the protective suits they were using may have been faulty, resulting in oxygen deprivation.
While fire and rescue teams at the scene ruled out any hazardous material leak into the surrounding environment, police are investigating all possibilities, including potential negligence in the handling of materials within the facility.
No suspects have been arrested so far, and the families have not yet received official information regarding the circumstances of the sudden collapse.
Magen David Adom paramedic Hila Bizawi and EMT Simcha Hassid said: “We received a report of two women who had lost consciousness at a factory near Ashdod. Upon arrival, we found two women, around 50 years old, unconscious, without pulse or breathing. We performed prolonged resuscitation, including chest compressions, ventilation, and administration of medications, but unfortunately, we were unable to save them and pronounced them dead at the scene."