Officials said nine workers remained unrecovered after the rupture at Nippon Dynawave Packaging.
LONGVIEW, Wash. — A chemical tank implosion at a paper mill in southwest Washington killed at least two people, injured several others and left nine workers unrecovered after a Tuesday rupture at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co.
The disaster has drawn state, local and company crews into a slow recovery effort shaped by unstable equipment and a caustic chemical used in paper production. Officials said the tank held white liquor, a mixture used in the pulping process, and that the site remained too dangerous for full access.
The implosion happened Tuesday morning at the Longview facility, a major industrial site in a city long tied to paper and timber work. Emergency crews responded after reports of a chemical explosion or rupture. Authorities later said the incident was an implosion involving a large tank, not a fire-driven blast. Injured workers and a firefighter were taken for medical treatment. Longview Mayor Erik Halvorson said the city had entered “a period of profound tragedy and deep mourning.”
Officials said the tank still posed a risk because more chemical material remained inside. Crews worked to stabilize the damaged structure before recovery teams could move deeper into the scene. The missing workers were described as unrecovered, and authorities said there was no hope of finding additional survivors. Names of victims were not immediately released while families were being notified. The cause of the tank failure remained unknown Wednesday.
White liquor is a highly caustic chemical mixture used to break down wood chips into pulp. The release raised safety and environmental questions, but officials said there was no direct threat to the wider public. State environmental responders were sent to assess runoff and possible contamination. The plant’s location in an industrial area helped limit public exposure, officials said, though nearby residents were told to avoid the area as crews continued work.
Nippon Dynawave Packaging said it was working with local agencies and emergency responders. The company’s Longview operation produces pulp and packaging materials and is part of a manufacturing base that supports many families in Cowlitz County. State officials said the next steps include recovery work, site stabilization and investigations into why the tank failed. Workplace safety and environmental reviews are expected to follow once crews can safely reach the damaged area.
Residents gathered, called relatives and waited for confirmed names as news spread across Longview. Community members said many people in the city know someone connected to the mill. At a vigil, speakers described the loss as hard to measure while families waited for answers. The scene remained guarded by emergency vehicles, with crews moving carefully around damaged equipment and chemical hazards.
As of Wednesday, recovery work was continuing under safety limits, and officials had not announced a final death toll. The next milestone is stabilization of the damaged tank so crews can recover those still inside the site.
Author note: Last updated May 27, 2026.