Chemical tank implosion in Washington state kills 1 and leaves 9 missing

Chemical tank implosion in Washington state leaves people dead, missing
A huge chemical tank containing nearly a million gallons of a highly corrosive liquid imploded and collapsed on Tuesday (26) at a paper mill in Washington, killing at least one worker and leaving nine others missing with no hope of rescue, authorities said.
Another nine people were injured, some seriously, in the leak at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. in Longview. The cause remained unclear.
"At this time we are not aware of any rescues that can still be made," said Scott Goldstein, chief of the Cowlitz Fire and Rescue Department, during a press conference Tuesday night, in which officials repeatedly referred to the situation as a recovery operation.
That effort would not resume until Wednesday morning, when rescuers planned to work on stabilizing the collapsed tank - which still contained about 90,000 gallons (more than 340,000 liters) of a chemical mixture known as "white liquor" - and then search for those missing, Goldstein said.
The severity of injuries ranged from mild to critical, with some suffering burns or inhalation injuries, officials said. Among those injured was a responding firefighter.
This photo, provided by the city of Longview, Washington, shows structural damage at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. plant following the implosion of a tank containing dangerous liquid on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Longview, Washington.
City of Longview via AP
Authorities said they would only work during the day due to the risk of the tank leaking more caustic liquid and potentially collapse again.
"We don't know until we know, hopefully tomorrow, how we can stabilize the tank. Do we remove the product first? Do we stabilize the tank first or vice versa?" Goldstein said.
Officials said there was no threat to the public.
Community awaits more information
At a community vigil Tuesday night, dozens gathered at a local park to pray, light candles and tearfully hug loved ones.
Crystal Moldenhauer, a Longview resident who served on the school board, said she has friends who work at the plant and are still missing. She described the stress of the day as people called and texted trying to find out what had happened.
"We're all still waiting for answers," she said. "There are families that have been torn apart, and we don't know why."
Two distraught parents, who said their two sons worked at the factory, intervened at the end of the press conference, saying they had not been contacted. As officials including Gov. Bob Ferguson, Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez addressed those in attendance, no one from the company spoke at the news conference.
Some people waited at the company's visitor entrance earlier on Tuesday, seeking information about loved ones. They declined to comment to an Associated Press reporter. At a nearby union hall that served as a family assistance center, three women shared an emotional hug before entering. Others arriving and leaving were also in tears.
Image shows the exterior of the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. plant after the implosion of a tank containing dangerous liquid, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Longview, Washington.
AP/Claire Rush
Facility is central to the community
The Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. plant is a pulp and paper and liquid packaging facility at banks of the Columbia River in Longview, a city of about 38,000 that has had a relationship with the paper and wood industries since its founding by a Kansas City lumber magnate in the 1920s.
The facility, which employs about 1,000 people and dates to 1953, produces material for tissue, printing paper, cups, plates, boxes and other products.

It is located in an industrial zone shared by other wood, paper and chemical companies, and remains central to the community.
"The people who respond here have friends and relatives who work there," Goldstein noted. "It's impactful, and we have support networks to support both workers and first responders."
Initially, officials reported the tank had a capacity of 80,000 gallons (303,000 liters), but later revised the number to about 900,000 gallons (3.4 million liters) of "white liquor." That's almost enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool one and a half times. The liquid, composed primarily of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide, is used with heat to decompose wood in the production of kraft paper, a durable material used in packaging, bags and other products.
Cause not yet known
It was too early to determine the cause of the implosion, Goldstein said.
After the tank ruptured, the white liquor spilled into a drainage ditch, said Brittny Goodsell, spokeswoman for the Department of Ecology of the state. The department sent a team to assess the impacts, he added.
"I know there are a lot of questions about how this all happened and I want to assure you that we continue to press for answers," Murray said during Tuesday night's briefing. "This community deserves this."
The implosion occurred as thousands of Southern California residents remained evacuated due to a damaged chemical tank at an aerospace plant. All evacuation orders were lifted on Tuesday night.
Just over 40 people died between January 2021 and mid-October 2023 as a result of dangerous chemical incidents, according to a report published by a network of environmental justice organizations in late 2023.
People gather at a vigil after a chemical tank leak at a paper mill killed at least one worker and left others missing in Longview, Washington, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
AP/Claire Rush
Previous health and safety violations
Safety complaints were filed against Nippon Dynawave on March 4 and May 6. The state Department of Labor and Industries said on X that both are unrelated to the current situation and remain open. The first was an anonymous report about a valve in an aqueous ammonia clarifier tank, according to the department, which noted that "it was not the tank that imploded." The other was opened over a hole caused by a failed drainage, according to the department.
Nippon Dynawave, a subsidiary of Japanese group Nippon Paper, has been fined a total of $3,400 for three separate health and safety violations found by Washington Department of Labor and Industries inspectors since the beginning of 2021, according to the department's online database.
In one inspection, the company was cited because not all employees wore masks when required. In another, the inspector determined that an employee was exposed to the risk of falling while working on a platform more than 4 feet off the ground.
In the third incident, the department determined that equipment involved in a workplace accident - an amputated finger - was moved from its original position before the state investigation was completed.

Source: G1

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