1 Dead, 9 Missing After Chemical Tank Implosion at Washington Paper Mill
A catastrophic chemical tank implosion at a Washington state paper mill has left one person dead and nine others missing, with recovery efforts hampered by unstable conditions and lingering hazardous material, officials said Wednesday.
The blast occurred Tuesday afternoon at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. facility in Longview, about 50 miles north of Portland, Oregon. Authorities said a tank containing roughly 900,000 gallons of “white liquor” — a caustic chemical used in the paper-pulping process — ruptured, triggering an implosion that sent debris and toxic fumes across the site.
Longview Fire Department confirmed that one worker died after being transported to a hospital. Nine others remain unaccounted for, and family members have been notified, officials said. Another nine people — eight workers and one firefighter — were hospitalized with injuries, including chemical burns. The full extent of their injuries has not yet been disclosed.
“At the moment, we are not aware of any rescues that are yet to be made,” Cowlitz Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Goldstein told reporters, according to the Associated Press. “Our primary goal is stabilizing the tank, removing the liquid from inside, then accessing the victims we are able to locate and recover.”
First responders estimate that roughly 90,000 gallons of white liquor remain inside the damaged tank, which is still structurally unstable and creating hazardous conditions for emergency crews. Fire officials said they are working to reinforce the tank so that search-and-recovery operations can resume as early as Wednesday.
White liquor, a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide, is highly corrosive and can cause severe chemical burns upon contact. Its presence at the scene has complicated rescue efforts, requiring specialized protective gear and air monitoring.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson announced that he has mobilized the Washington National Guard Civil Support Team to assist the state Department of Ecology with air monitoring. He also directed the National Guard’s Homeland Response Force to aid search, recovery, and mass decontamination efforts in the contaminated environment. The state Department of Labor & Industries has launched a full investigation into the incident.
“I’m deeply saddened to hear that there have been fatalities,” Ferguson said in a social media post. “My thoughts are with the workers and their families, and with the first responders.”
The implosion underscores the persistent risks in industrial facilities that handle large volumes of hazardous chemicals. The paper mill, which produces packaging materials, had not reported major safety incidents in recent years, according to state records. Experts say that the scale of the tank rupture — and the amount of white liquor still inside — makes this one of the more complex industrial accidents in Washington state history.
Authorities have stressed that there is no immediate threat to the surrounding community, but residents near the mill have been advised to stay indoors and close windows as a precaution. The cause of the tank rupture remains under investigation.