The death toll from a chemical tank rupture at a paper pulp plant in Washington state has risen to 11, with authorities confirming on Saturday that the bodies of all nine missing workers have been recovered.
The incident occurred on Tuesday at a Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility in Longview, when a tank containing 'white liquor' – a chemical solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide used in paper pulp production – imploded. Two fatalities were initially confirmed, with the remaining nine missing.
Search efforts continued throughout the week, with recovery crews working through debris in indoor areas and using drones to survey the perimeter, according to Kurt Stitch, deputy chief of the Cowlitz 2 fire and rescue department.
The ruptured tank held approximately 900,000 gallons (3.4 million litres) of white liquor. Officials confirmed that contamination entered the nearby Columbia River, but stated that no negative health impacts have been detected on air quality or the city of Longview's drinking water.
Nippon Paper Industries, Japan's second-largest paper manufacturer by sales, acquired the Longview plant from Seattle-based Weyerhaeuser for $225 million in 2016, establishing the wholly owned subsidiary Nippon Dynawave Packaging.
