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🇮🇱 Israel /Disasters & Emergencies

Eleven confirmed dead in Washington state chemical accident, all bodies recovered

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Outcome reported
  • The death toll from a chemical tank rupture at a Washington state paper mill has risen to 11, with all missing individuals' bodies recovered.
  • The incident involved the implosion of a tank containing approximately 900,000 gallons of "white liquor," a chemical used in paper pulp production.
  • Contamination from the spill entered the Columbia River, though officials reported no negative health impacts on air quality or the city's drinking water.

Eleven people have been confirmed dead following a chemical tank rupture at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging pulp and paper mill in Longview, Washington. Recovery crews successfully retrieved the bodies of all nine individuals who had been missing since the incident on Tuesday.

The tank, which contained about 900,000 gallons (3.4 million liters) of "white liquor", a solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide used in papermaking, imploded at the facility. Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue reported that the search and recovery operation involved working through debris and utilizing drones to survey the site.

Testing of water samples has confirmed contamination entered the Columbia River during the day yesterday. Additional evaluations are underway to better understand the scope and extent of that environmental impact.

— Scott GoldsteinThe Cowlitz 2 Fire Chief confirmed the river contamination and stated that further assessments were being conducted.

Officials confirmed that contamination from the spilled chemical entered the nearby Columbia River. However, they stated that testing had not detected any negative health impacts on the surrounding air quality or the city of Longview's drinking water system. Approximately 550,000 to 570,000 gallons of the substance reportedly left the tank, with some still leaking.

The Longview plant was acquired by Japan's Nippon Paper Industries in 2016. The incident prompted thousands of residents to evacuate their homes. The event transitioned from a rescue to a recovery operation on Thursday, with ongoing evaluations to understand the full environmental impact of the contamination.

At this time, there ... continue to be no identified negative health impacts to ... the surrounding air quality or the city of Longview's drinking water system.

— Scott GoldsteinThe Fire Chief reassured the public about the absence of immediate health risks from the spill.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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