9 Missing After Washington Paper Mill Tank Implosion, Officials Say No Hope of Survivors

A catastrophic industrial accident at a paper mill in Longview, Washington , has left at least two people dead and nine workers missing and presumed dead after a massive chemical storage tank containing a highly corrosive solution imploded, triggering a complex recovery operation.

The incident occurred at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co , a subsidiary of Nippon Paper Group , when a large tank holding nearly 900,000 gallons of white liquor , a strongly alkaline mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide used in the kraft paper process, suddenly collapsed, releasing the chemical across the site and severely damaging infrastructure.

Authorities said emergency crews were overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster and the instability of the remaining tank structure, which still contained significant quantities of hazardous chemicals even after the collapse. The site was declared unsafe , and full recovery efforts were delayed until stabilization work could be completed. Operations have since been restricted to daylight hours due to the risk of further collapse and chemical leakage.

Early reports indicate the implosion occurred during a morning shift change , complicating immediate worker accountability and emergency response. At least eight workers and one firefighter were hospitalized, with several suffering severe chemical burns and inhalation injuries , while critically injured victims were transferred to specialized burn treatment centers.

In the days following the incident, officials confirmed there is now no hope of finding additional survivors , shifting the operation entirely from rescue to recovery mode . Investigators from state and federal agencies have launched a formal probe into the cause, examining possible structural fatigue , mechanical failure , and maintenance lapses within the system.

Environmental concerns have also emerged after portions of the spilled chemical entered nearby drainage channels and potentially affected waterways connected to the Columbia River , though authorities have stated there is no immediate threat to drinking water or air quality .

The tragedy has deeply shaken the industrial town of Longview, where the mill, employing around 1,000 workers , is a major economic lifeline and many residents have personal ties to those affected.

Officials have described the disaster as one of the most serious industrial accidents in Washington state’s recent history , with a full investigation underway to determine how a routine industrial storage system failed so catastrophically.