At least one person was killed when a tank of caustic chemicals ruptured. Officials said they will resume searching for missing workers May 27.Show Caption
At least one person was killed and several people were injured or unaccounted for after a chemical explosion at a Washington state industrial facility.Authorities responded to the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company in Longview, Washington, at about 7:18 a.m. local time on May 26 after a tank containing about 900,000 gallons of chemicals ruptured.At least one person was confirmed dead, the Longview Fire Department said. Eight employees were injured and one firefighter was injured. Nine employees were missing as of late afternoon on May 26.The situation at the facility was unstable that evening, and the search to recover additional workers was suspended until May 27, fire officials said. Authorities said there was no immediate threat to the surrounding area."This is an amazing community of hardworking people and a tragedy like this affects absolutely everybody," said Washington Sen. Patty Murray.Authorities are expected to give updates the morning of May 27. Here's what we know about the response and investigation:Search for missing workers to resume on May 27Authorities said they hoped to have a plan to stabilize roughly 90,000 gallons of chemical remaining in the tank that failed so that they can proceed with the search for additional victims."Recovery and stabilization efforts remain extremely complex due to the ongoing hazards," said Scott Goldstein, chief of Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue.Goldstein said crews are assessing the structural integrity of the tank containing the chemical white liquor. The tank remained unstable the evening of May 26, and there were concerns that it could collapse while crews are searching for victims. Some areas of the plant were inaccessible, said Matt Amos, battalion chief of the Longview Fire Department.The response teams will work to stabilize the tank, remove the remaining liquid and then access the people still unaccounted for, officials said.What are the victims' conditions?PeaceHealth medical center in Longview said it received nine patients from the incident, including the deceased person. Center spokesperson Jim Murez said six were in "fair condition" on May 26. Two patients were transferred to other facilities.Some of the injured suffered chemical burns, the Longview Fire Department said earlier in the day. The injured firefighter was treated and released. All impacted families have been notified, officials said.None of the injured or deceased victims have been identified.Community members attended a vigil by candlelight the evening of May 26. Some were seen holding pictures of loved ones involved.What kind of facility is Nippon Dynawave?The facility is a pulp and paper mill and a liquid packaging plant, according to the Washington Department of Ecology.The pulp and paper mill has about 550 employees and makes "280,000 tons of bleached liquid packaging paperboard and wetlap and slush pulp each year," according to the Ecology Department. The liquid packaging plant has about 450 employees.The facility produces bleached paperboard that is used to make cartons and cups for products such as milk, juice, coffee and sake, according to a 2023 news release.White liquor, the chemical in the tank that exploded, is involved in the paper-making process, officials said. It consists of sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfide and disodium carbonate. The chemical is caustic, officials said.Nippon Dynawave didn't immediately respond to a request for comment when reached by USA TODAY. An ecology spills team went to the site to evaluate any potential impacts of the explosion, Ecology Department spokesperson Brittny Goodsell told USA TODAY.
