Igor Fredkin (50) from Kiryat Ata and Uri Levy (58) from Haifa are the two additional fatalities from the Iranian missile strike on Bazan’s oil refineries in Haifa Bay. Fredkin and Levy were on the night shift between Sunday and Monday in the building that was hit, together with their colleague, 59-year-old Dani Avraham, whose name was released for publication on Monday.
Fredkin was married to Ludmila, and they had six children and an 8-month-old granddaughter. He immigrated to Israel in the late 1990s, met Ludmila, and the two married. “Igor worked at the refinery for 17 years,” said his brother Konstantin. “He was a senior operator in the refinery’s control room and loved his job. On the night of the disaster, Igor was on duty. They were in a protected room and became trapped in the flames. The family didn’t know about the disaster during the night. Only the next morning did we begin to suspect something was wrong. Toward noon, we received the official notification from the refinery.”
The family emphasized that Igor was a devoted family man, always there for his wife, children, and granddaughter. “He was always giving of himself and his knowledge to everyone,” they said. “Igor loved his work. He understood that he was employed in a strategic and important facility for the State of Israel like the refinery. He always fully and professionally carried out his duties. He firmly believed in the importance of his work and saw it as his way of contributing to the country. He worked there day and night. We are all deeply saddened. We will remember him forever.”
Bazan paid tribute to the three workers who were killed, stating: “Three dedicated professionals who fell while performing their duties as a result of the missile attack. The Bazan Group extends condolences to the bereaved families. May their souls be bound in the bond of life.”
Fredkin worked at the refinery for many years and was well-loved and respected. Kiryat Ata’s mayor, Yaakov Peretz, paid tribute: “Kiryat Ata parts with deep sorrow from Igor Fredkin, a son of our city, who was killed in the missile attack on Bazan. My heart is with the Fredkin family during this difficult time of loss and grief. On behalf of myself and the city’s residents, I send heartfelt condolences. May his memory be blessed.” Fredkin’s funeral will be held on Wednesday.
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The Iranian missile that killed the three struck the structure, which collapsed due to the fire, trapping them beneath the rubble. Thick smoke billowed at the scene, and the extreme temperatures left them with little chance of survival. It’s likely the three suffocated from the dense smoke and were fatally injured by the intense heat in the impact zone.
Bazan announced Monday to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange: “The company wishes to report that as a result of the hit to the Bazan Group complex, the power station responsible for part of the group’s steam and electricity production was significantly damaged, along with additional impacts. At this time, all refinery and subsidiary facilities have been shut down.” The Energy Ministry stated following the announcement: “We are fully prepared to meet the country’s fuel consumption needs.” It is estimated that repairs will take about ten days.
As a strategic facility, news of the strike on the Haifa Bay refineries was not made public until Energy Minister Eli Cohen’s announcement on Monday evening. The statement surprised elements within the defense establishment. It’s doubtful the attack’s consequences would have been disclosed had Bazan not been a publicly traded company on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, obligated to report significant events.