Washington chemical tank rupture death toll rises to 11

Published 31 May, 2026 11:47am 1 min read
A drone view of a chemical tank after its rupture at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging pulp and paper mill in Longview, Washington. -- Reuters
A drone view of a chemical tank after its rupture at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging pulp and paper mill in Longview, Washington. -- Reuters

The death toll from a chemical tank rupture in the US state of ​Washington climbed to 11 as crews ‌recovered the bodies of all nine missing people, authorities said on Saturday.

Two fatalities had been confirmed after ​the tank containing “white liquor” — a chemical ​solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide ⁠used in making paper pulp — imploded ​at a Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility on Tuesday.

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, said Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue’s deputy ‌chief, ⁠Kurt Stitch.

The ruptured tank contained about 900,000 gallons (3.4 million litres) of white liquor, and tests confirmed that contamination entered the nearby ​Columbia River, officials ​have ⁠said, although no “negative health impacts” had been detected on air quality ​or the city of Longview’s drinking ​water.

Nippon ⁠Paper Industries, Japan’s second-biggest paper manufacturer by sales, acquired the Longview plant from Seattle-based timber ⁠company ​Weyerhaeuser for $225 million and established ​the wholly owned subsidiary Nippon Dynawave Packaging in 2016.

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