LONGVIEW, WASHINGTON / Content Syndication Services / — Eleven people have been confirmed dead after a chemical tank ruptured and imploded at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging pulp and paper mill in Longview, Washington, with crews recovering the last of nine missing workers after several days of searches through debris at the industrial site. The incident occurred on May 26 at a facility that handles chemicals used in paper and pulp processing, prompting a mass casualty response and a continuing official investigation.
The tank contained white liquor, a corrosive alkaline solution used in the kraft pulping process to break down wood chips into pulp. Officials have described the material as containing sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide, with some reports also identifying disodium carbonate among the components. The failed storage tank was designed to hold about 900,000 gallons, and the rupture released chemical material into parts of the facility and connected drainage systems.
Nine people were transported from the scene to hospitals after the incident. Of those, two later died, four were treated and released, including one firefighter, and three remained in care as of the latest public update from response officials. Emergency crews carried out recovery work while managing chemical exposure risks, damaged infrastructure and access limits inside the mill, using specialized response teams and equipment during the operation.
Investigation focuses on tank failure
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board opened a federal investigation into the fatal chemical tank implosion and sent investigators to Longview after the incident. The agency said the accident involved the rupture and implosion of a large tank containing white liquor. Officials have not announced a cause, and no public finding has assigned responsibility for the failure. Local, state and federal responders continued working with facility personnel and contractors at the site.
Environmental monitoring has continued in and around the affected area. The Washington Department of Ecology said Longview’s drinking water remained safe and stationary and mobile air monitoring showed no detections of harmful gases. Officials said pH levels measured in the ditch network had returned to a normal range, while residents were still asked to avoid affected sloughs, dikes and drainage ditches until final confirmation work was complete.
Recovery completed after days of searches
Officials have identified the victims as Gilberto Bernal, Tyler Covington, Brad Covington, Robert Wilson, Dale Miller, Jared Ammons, Braydon Finkas, Clinton Duran, John Forsberg, Norman Barlow and Dillon Miller. Nine victims were recovered from the mill site, while two died after being transported for medical care. Recovery teams worked through interior debris and used drone surveys around the damaged area before confirming that all missing workers had been found.
The Longview mill is part of a major industrial corridor along the Columbia River and produces materials used in paperboard and related packaging products. Nippon Paper Industries acquired the site in 2016 through its U.S. subsidiary. Cleanup operations remained active after the recovery phase, with vacuum trucks and pumps used to remove waste and liquid from the site. Authorities said the Columbia River remained open for fishing and recreation, with no confirmed impacts to fish or wildlife in the river mainstem.