UMVA has learned that a devastating chemical explosion ripped through a Washington state pulp and paper mill, leaving one worker dead and nine still missing, presumed dead.
Early Tuesday morning, emergency crews swarmed the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company in Longview after a tank holding more than 900,000 gallons of hazardous chemicals detonated with a thunderous blast.
The Longview Fire Department reported eight employees and one firefighter suffered injuries, while nine workers have yet to be accounted for as responders race against time.
Authorities quickly assured the public that the surrounding community faces no immediate danger, but the tragedy has plunged the town into profound mourning.
Mayor Erik Halvorson described the loss as a blow to an “amazing community of hardworking people,” and state leaders echoed the grief, emphasizing how the disaster touches every resident.
Chief Scott Goldstein of Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue confirmed that the cause of the tank rupture remains unknown, and that crews are focused on life‑safety concerns and stabilizing the scene.
The ruptured vessel still holds an estimated 90,000 gallons of a caustic blend of sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfide and disodium carbonate—key ingredients in the paper‑making process.
Compounding the crisis, a water‑main break released roughly 500,000 gallons of the chemical mixture onto the plant’s grounds, creating a sprawling, hazardous slick.
Rescue teams hope to secure the remaining chemicals by Wednesday, a prerequisite for safely resuming the search for the missing workers.
Goldstein warned that the damaged tank’s structural integrity remains precarious; any collapse could jeopardize ongoing recovery efforts.
Longview Fire Battalion Chief Matt Amos noted that large sections of the plant are currently inaccessible, further complicating the rescue operation.
Once the tank is stabilized and the toxic slurry removed, crews will be able to re‑enter the site and intensify the hunt for survivors.
Nine injured individuals were transported to a local medical center, where six remain in fair condition, two were moved to other facilities, and one succumbed to injuries.
Medical staff reported that several victims suffered severe chemical burns, while the injured firefighter has since been released.
Families of the victims have been notified, though none of the injured or deceased have been identified publicly.
That evening, the community gathered for a candlelit vigil, holding photos of loved ones and sharing quiet prayers for those lost and missing.
Nippon Dynawave, perched on the Washington‑Oregon border near the Columbia River, operates a kraft pulp and paper mill and liquid packaging plant employing close to 1,000 workers.
The facility produces roughly 280,000 tons of bleached liquid‑packaging paperboard and pulp each year, material that becomes the cartons and cups for everyday items like milk, juice and coffee.
