Death Toll Expected to Reach 11 After Chemical Tank Implosion at Washington Paper Mill

Officials in Washington state said no survivors are expected to be found following a chemical tank implosion at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. paper mill in Longview, with authorities confirming two deaths and nine workers still presumed dead.

The incident occurred around 7:15 a.m. Tuesday at the company’s manufacturing facility in southwestern Washington. Emergency responders have transitioned operations from rescue to recovery, according to Cowlitz County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein.

If all missing workers are confirmed dead, the disaster would become the deadliest industrial accident in modern Washington state history, Governor Bob Ferguson said during a news conference Wednesday.

The implosion involved a tank designed to hold approximately 900,000 gallons of “white liquor,” a highly caustic chemical mixture used in the kraft paper production process. Officials said the tank was about 60% full at the time of the incident, releasing an estimated 550,000 to 570,000 gallons of chemicals including sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfide and disodium carbonate.

Authorities said seven employees remain hospitalized with injuries ranging from burns to inhalation-related conditions. An injured firefighter was treated and released.

Goldstein said the timing of the incident coincided with a shift change, meaning a large number of workers were in the surrounding operational, administrative and break-room areas when the tank ruptured. Images from the site showed the spherical vessel partially collapsed with a large section torn open.

Emergency crews continued cautious recovery efforts due to concerns about structural instability and exposure to hazardous chemicals. Officials said recovered victims must undergo decontamination before identification and release to the Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office.

State officials also confirmed that chemicals from the rupture contaminated part of the Columbia River system, although authorities said there is no threat to Longview’s drinking water supply. Approximately a dozen dead carp were recovered near a river dike.

The Washington National Guard deployed 46 personnel to support recovery and hazardous-material monitoring operations. Officials said no airborne contamination has been detected.

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board has opened an investigation into the cause of the implosion. Washington state labor officials said several inspections at the facility remain ongoing.

One of the workers confirmed dead was identified as Gilbert Bernal, 52. Family members said he had initially been transported to a hospital in critical condition before later succumbing to his injuries.

Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. is a U.S. subsidiary of Japan-based Nippon Paper Industries. The Longview facility manufactures materials used in packaging and paper products and is part of the region’s long-established pulp and paper manufacturing sector.