Disaster at the Ashdod Oil Refinery: Police Transfer Case to State Attorney's Office

Six months after the tragic incident at the Ashdod oil refinery, in which chemical engineers Irina Radchuk and Nitzan Goichman were killed, the police have transferred the case to the State Attorney's Office. The list of suspects includes several company managers.

According to police and Ministry of Labor findings, the women were killed during a hazardous materials test when their suits were connected to tanks containing 100% nitrogen instead of medical air. The case involves the owners of the company that supplied the tanks, as well as refinery management. The laboratory manager has since left their position, and the testing room remains closed.

An experienced laboratory engineer (G.), who requested anonymity, told Ynet and "Yedioth Ahronoth" that management intends to resume operations in the testing room after implementing new safety measures—precisely the steps he had been demanding for years:

"Now they remember. For years, I warned that a disaster would happen. They told us they want to resume hazardous materials tests, but only after installing a camera, a distress button, and requiring a third person to oversee the two employees conducting the test."

On February 11, Radchuk and Goichman collapsed while working. No one noticed in real-time. "If there had been a camera, it would have been possible to extract them immediately, start CPR, and provide oxygen. They were inside for about 50 minutes. By the time they were found, it was too late," the engineer said. He noted that he had repeatedly warned management about the need for internal surveillance a decade ago, but his requests were denied.

He also criticized the management's post-incident conduct: "At a meeting, they claimed they had followed all procedures and were not at fault, blaming only the suppliers." He further alleged that in his decades at the plant, several other deaths had occurred, yet management was never held accountable.

Hezi Schwartzman, head of the Safety Administration at the Ministry of Labor, has submitted an expert opinion to the police regarding the contents of the tanks.

In response, the Ashdod oil refinery stated:

"The company shares in the grief of the families of Irina Radchuk and Nitzan Goichman, may their memory be a blessing, and has been supporting them since the tragic incident. As the investigation is ongoing, we cannot comment further. The company invests significant management attention and resources to maintain a safe work environment for all its employees."