Washington State Tank Implosion Kills One and Leaves Nine Missing
Authorities said 10 people were injured, including one firefighter, as recovery crews searched for the missing and investigated the cause.
- On Tuesday, a tank containing white liquor ruptured at Nippon Dynawave Packaging in Longview, Washington, around 7:15 a.m., killing at least one person and leaving nine others unaccounted for while injuring 10 people including a firefighter.
- White liquor is a highly caustic alkaline solution made primarily of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide used to break down wood chips in kraft paper production; the substance causes severe chemical burns and can only self-neutralize with water over time.
- Battalion Chief Mike Gorsuch described the aftermath as a 'mass casualty scene' as about 40 firefighters and paramedics responded; nine mill employees and one firefighter were transported to hospitals in Longview and Vancouver.
- PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center received nine patients with one deceased, six in fair condition, and two transferred; rescue crews shifted into recovery operations as the unstable tank posed ongoing hazards for emergency personnel.
- The Nippon facility experienced a major industrial fire in July 2023 and faced OSHA citations for serious safety violations in 2021; authorities initially reported the tank held 80,000 gallons but later revised capacity to 900,000 gallons.
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381 Articles
1 killed, 9 workers missing after Washington factory disaster
LONGVIEW, Washington — Emergency crews in southwest Washington continued recovery efforts Wednesday after a massive chemical tank ruptured at a paper and packaging facility, leaving at least one person dead, injuring multiple workers and leaving nine employees unaccounted for.
Corrosive chemicals hamper recovery efforts at Longview industrial site; 9 still unaccounted for after tank rupture
Emergency responders announced late Tuesday that they’d suspended operations at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company due in part to the tank’s structural instability.
Chemical Tank Implodes in Washington State, Killing at Least 1
Multiple workers are still missing after a chemical tank in Washington state imploded on Tuesday, killing at least one person. The now-destroyed chemical tank at a paper plant was holding nearly a million gallons of hazardous liquid before it ruptured. The cause of the accident remains unknown. NBC’s Morgan Chesky reports for TODAY.
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