Washington chemical tank accident: Death toll rises to 11 after missing workers found
The death toll from a chemical tank rupture at a paper mill in Washington state has risen to 11 after recovery teams located the bodies of all nine workers who had been reported missing following the incident, authorities said on Saturday.
The accident occurred on Tuesday at a Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility in Longview, where a tank containing "white liquor", a chemical solution used in paper pulp production, ruptured and imploded, triggering a mass casualty response.
Two deaths were initially confirmed in the aftermath of the incident, while nine workers remained unaccounted for. Authorities said recovery crews spent several days searching through debris inside the facility and using drones to survey the surrounding area before locating all of the missing victims.
"The search for the missing carried on through the week as recovery crews worked through debris in indoor areas and flew drones over the perimeter of the site," Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue deputy chief Kurt Stitch said.
The ruptured tank contained approximately 900,000 gallons (3.4 million litres) of white liquor, a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide used in paper manufacturing.
Officials previously confirmed that contamination from the tank entered the nearby Columbia River. However, authorities said no "negative health impacts" had been detected on local air quality or Longview's drinking water supply.
The explosion occurred at around 7.15 am local time and prompted a large-scale emergency response involving firefighters, paramedics and hazardous materials teams. Earlier, officials described the site as a "mass casualty scene" as rescue and recovery operations got underway.
In a joint statement issued after the incident, Nippon Dynawave Packaging and law enforcement agencies said the tank rupture caused multiple fatalities and serious injuries, including burn and inhalation cases. Officials also stated there was no immediate danger to the public.
The Longview facility produces pulp, paper and liquid packaging materials and employs around 1,000 workers. Nippon Dynawave Packaging was established in 2016 after Japan's Nippon Paper Industries acquired the plant from US timber company Weyerhaeuser for USD 225 million.
Authorities have not yet released the identities of the victims, and investigations into the cause of the rupture are ongoing.
The accident occurred on Tuesday at a Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility in Longview, where a tank containing "white liquor", a chemical solution used in paper pulp production, ruptured and imploded, triggering a mass casualty response.
Two deaths were initially confirmed in the aftermath of the incident, while nine workers remained unaccounted for. Authorities said recovery crews spent several days searching through debris inside the facility and using drones to survey the surrounding area before locating all of the missing victims.
"The search for the missing carried on through the week as recovery crews worked through debris in indoor areas and flew drones over the perimeter of the site," Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue deputy chief Kurt Stitch said.
The ruptured tank contained approximately 900,000 gallons (3.4 million litres) of white liquor, a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide used in paper manufacturing.
Officials previously confirmed that contamination from the tank entered the nearby Columbia River. However, authorities said no "negative health impacts" had been detected on local air quality or Longview's drinking water supply.
The explosion occurred at around 7.15 am local time and prompted a large-scale emergency response involving firefighters, paramedics and hazardous materials teams. Earlier, officials described the site as a "mass casualty scene" as rescue and recovery operations got underway.
In a joint statement issued after the incident, Nippon Dynawave Packaging and law enforcement agencies said the tank rupture caused multiple fatalities and serious injuries, including burn and inhalation cases. Officials also stated there was no immediate danger to the public.
The Longview facility produces pulp, paper and liquid packaging materials and employs around 1,000 workers. Nippon Dynawave Packaging was established in 2016 after Japan's Nippon Paper Industries acquired the plant from US timber company Weyerhaeuser for USD 225 million.
Authorities have not yet released the identities of the victims, and investigations into the cause of the rupture are ongoing.
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