LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) — A second person who was injured when a large chemical tank ruptured at a Washington state paper mill has died, authorities said Wednesday, bringing the presumed death toll to 11, including nine people who were still missing.Authorities said there was no hope of finding more survivors, but crews were set to resume searching Wednesday for those who went missing following Tuesday’s tank failure at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. in Longview, which also injured eight people, including a firefighter.The search was delayed over concerns that the ruptured tank might collapse further and spill more of the highly destructive liquid inside, a mixture called white liquor that is used in paper manufacturing. The rupture caused the huge circular tank to buckle on one side, and officials said they would only work during daylight because of the dangers.
Authorities said the rupture hasn’t affected the safety of the air and drinking water in Longview, a Columbia River city of about 40,000 people with long ties to the Washington and Oregon paper and lumber industries. But they warned residents to keep away from ditches and dikes.
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It was the second notable issue with a chemical in days on the West Coast, following the evacuation of thousands of Southern California residents due to an overheated tank an aerospace plant before those orders were lifted Tuesday night.
