2 confirmed dead, 9 missing after chemical tank explosion in Washington

At least two people were 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 Co. in Longview, Washington, at 7:18 a.m. local time May 26 after a tank containing about 900,000 gallons of chemicals ruptured.

Two people were confirmed dead, according to a joint release from local officials. Seven employees at the site were injured, as well as one firefighter. Nine workers were missing as of May 27.

The situation at the facility was unstable after the explosion, causing fire officials to suspend recovery operations overnight headed into May 27. But authorities said in their joint release that recovery efforts "will begin today."

Officials also said in the release that residents should "keep away from ditches and dikes in the city while water testing is underway," but there was no immediate threat to the surrounding area. Longview is about 70 miles south of Olympia.

"This is an amazing community of hardworking people, and a tragedy like this affects absolutely everybody," Washington Sen. Patty Murray said after the explosion.

Here's what we know about the response and investigation:

Search for missing workers to resume on May 27

Authorities said they have a plan to stabilize chemicals 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 was unstable the evening of May 26, and there were concerns that it could collapse as crews searched 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.

They added that as emergency workers find additional people who were killed, they will undergo decontamination before being transferred to the coroner's office for identification.

What are the victims' conditions?

PeaceHealth medical center in Longview said it received nine patients from the accident, including one of the people killed. Center spokesperson Jim Murez said six were in "fair condition" on May 26. Two patients were transferred to other facilities.

Authorities on May 27 said one of the individuals taken to the hospital from the scene for their injuries later died, which brought the death toll to two.

Some of the injured suffered chemical burns, the Longview Fire Department said earlier in the day. The injured firefighter was treated and released. All families had been notified, officials said.

None of the injured or deceased have been publicly identified.

Community members attended a candlelight vigil late May 26. Some were seen holding pictures of loved ones.

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 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 news release in 2023

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 environmental consequences of the explosion, Ecology Department spokesperson Brittny Goodsell told USA TODAY.