1 dead, 9 unaccounted for after chemical tank implosion in Washington state
One person has died, nine employees remain unaccounted for and nine others were injured after a chemical tank ruptured at a paper packaging plant in southwest Washington, according to fire officials.
The incident happened at about 7:15 a.m. on Tuesday at Nippon Dynawave Packaging on Industrial Way in Longview, Washington, a city along the Columbia River about 45 miles north of Portland, Oregon.
In an update on Tuesday afternoon, fire officials said 10 people were taken to hospitals after the rupture, including eight employees, one firefighter and one person who later died.
Officials said nine employees remain unaccounted for. All identified families have been notified.
The rupture involved a tank containing white liquor, a chemical mixture used in the papermaking process. Fire officials previously said the tank was believed to contain about 80,000 gallons, but later said it held about 900,000 gallons of white liquor, with an estimated 90,000 gallons possibly still inside the damaged tank.
The tank remains unstable, creating hazardous conditions for emergency crews. Responders are working to reinforce and stabilize the site before additional recovery operations can safely continue.
Recovery operations are focused on reaching affected areas of the facility, recovering victims and supporting families, according to fire officials.
The incident continues to affect parts of the facility and limit access to some areas of the site. Officials said there is currently no direct threat to the surrounding community.
Numerous local, regional and state agencies are coordinating response and recovery operations with facility personnel. The cause of the implosion has not been released.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
