LONGVIEW, Washington — The death toll from a devastating chemical tank rupture at a paper manufacturing facility in Washington state has risen to 11 after recovery crews located the bodies of all nine workers who had been reported missing following the explosion earlier this week. Authorities confirmed Saturday that all victims have now been recovered from the disaster site. (Reuters)
The accident occurred Tuesday at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility in Longview, where a massive storage tank containing “white liquor,” a highly caustic chemical solution used in paper pulp production, imploded and ruptured. Two deaths were confirmed shortly after the incident, while nine other employees remained unaccounted for during a multi-day search and recovery operation. (Reuters)
Recovery Effort Lasted Nearly a Week
Emergency responders spent several days searching through damaged structures, chemical-contaminated debris, and hazardous areas inside the facility.
According to Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue officials, recovery teams used drones, specialized equipment, and coordinated search operations to locate the missing workers. Authorities announced on Saturday that the ninth and final missing employee had been recovered, bringing the total confirmed death toll to 11. (Reuters)
The operation was complicated by safety concerns surrounding the damaged tank and the presence of hazardous industrial chemicals throughout the site. (New York Post)
Massive Chemical Tank Contained “White Liquor”
Officials said the ruptured vessel contained approximately 900,000 gallons of “white liquor,” a chemical mixture primarily composed of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide that is widely used in the paper manufacturing process. (Reuters)
The force of the implosion caused significant structural damage inside the facility and released large quantities of the chemical solution. Several workers and at least one firefighter suffered injuries, including chemical burns, during the incident. (The Guardian)
Authorities have not yet publicly released a final determination regarding what caused the tank failure.
Environmental Monitoring Continues
State and local environmental agencies confirmed that contamination from the ruptured tank reached the nearby Columbia River.
However, officials reported that testing conducted following the accident has not detected harmful impacts on local air quality or Longview’s drinking water supply. Environmental monitoring and cleanup operations remain ongoing. (Reuters)
Company and Government Response
The Longview facility is operated by Nippon Dynawave Packaging, a subsidiary of Japan-based Nippon Paper Industries, one of the largest paper manufacturers in Japan.
The company acquired the facility in 2016 after purchasing it from Weyerhaeuser and has since operated it as a major paper and packaging production site employing hundreds of workers. (Reuters)
Washington state officials, workplace safety investigators, and federal agencies are expected to conduct detailed reviews of the incident to determine whether equipment failures, operational issues, or safety violations contributed to the disaster.
Questions Over Industrial Safety
The explosion has renewed concerns about industrial safety procedures involving large-scale chemical storage systems.
Workplace safety experts note that facilities handling hazardous chemicals are subject to extensive safety regulations, but accidents involving storage tanks can still produce catastrophic consequences when failures occur. Investigators are expected to examine maintenance records, inspection reports, operational procedures, and emergency response systems as part of the inquiry. (The Guardian)
For the Longview community, the focus has now shifted from rescue efforts to mourning the victims and understanding what led to one of Washington state’s deadliest industrial accidents in recent years. (Reuters)
Sources
Reuters, The Guardian, Associated Press, Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue statements, Washington state environmental agencies. (Reuters)
Editor: Sudhir Choudhary
Tags: Washington State, Chemical Explosion, Longview, Industrial Accident, Nippon Dynawave Packaging, Columbia River, Workplace Safety, United States
News by The Vagabond News.
