1 dead, 9 missing in wake of chemical tank implosion at U.S. paper mill

i someone is deadened and 9 others remain unaccounted for after a chemical substance tank holding nearly a million gallons of a corrosive liquid imploded at a Washington paper mill, authorities said.

Nine others were injured in the spill, some severely. Emergency responders were still working on recovery efforts at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. In Longview, but hours after the implosion, some liquid remained in the collapsed tank, complicating efforts to reach victims, the Longview Fire Department said Tuesday evening.

"The tank remains unstable, creating hazardous conditions for emergency personnel," the fire department said in a written statement. "Responders are continuing efforts to structurally reinforce and stabilize the site before additional recovery operations can safely proceed."

Among those injured was a responding firefighter. Authorities said some victims had suffered burns or inhalation injuries, and that the severity of the injuries ranged from minor to critical. There was no immediate threat to the public, they said.

Some people waited at the company's visitor entrance on Tuesday, seeking information about loved ones who worked at the facility. They declined to comment to an Associated Press reporter.

The Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. Facility is a pulp and paper mill and liquid packaging plant along the Columbia River in Longview, a city of about 38,000 that has had a relationship with the paper and lumber industries since its founding by a Kansas City timber baron in the 1920s.

The facility, which employs about 1,000 people and dates to 1953, makes material for tissues, printing paper, cups, plates, cartons and other goods. It is located in an industrial zone shared by other timber, paper and chemical businesses, and it remains central to the community.

"The people who are responders here have friends and relatives that work on site," Cowlitz Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Goldstein noted. "It is something that is impactful, and we have support networks to support the workers as well as the emergency responders."

The 3.4 million-litre tank that imploded contained a chemical brew known as "white liquor," a corrosive substance that consists mainly of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide and is used to break down wood to make kraft paper, a durable paper used in packaging, shopping bags and other products.

It was too early to determine the cause of the implosion, Goldstein said.

In a written statement, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington called the implosion an "absolute tragedy."

"My heart is with everyone who lost a loved one today — as well as the injured workers," she said.

Mike Gorsuch, battalion chief with the fire department, described it as a "mass casualty scene." He said first responders had decontaminated patients and taken them to hospitals in Longview and Vancouver, Wash.

About 40 firefighters and paramedics had responded, along with a regional hazmat team, Gorsuch said.

Following the tank's rupture, the white liquor spilled into a drainage ditch, said Brittny Goodsell, a state Ecology Department spokesperson. The department sent a team to evaluate the impacts, Goodsell said.

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