Longview Mill Tragedy: 2 Dead, 9 Unaccounted After Tank Leak

Search crews are working cautiously at a Longview paper mill following a catastrophic chemical tank failure that has claimed two lives and left nine workers missing. The tank, filled with nearly 900,000 gallons of white liquor, collapsed at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging plant, releasing large quantities of the toxic solution used in paper manufacturing. Because the structure remains unstable, rescue operations are proceeding methodically to avoid further collapse or exposure. The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board has launched a formal probe and dispatched investigators to the scene. Officials have stressed that any recovered remains will undergo thorough decontamination before being transferred to the coroner’s office. Although the city’s air and water supplies are currently safe, traces of the chemical have reached the Columbia River, triggering environmental monitoring. Governor Bob Ferguson noted the possibility that this could become Washington’s largest industrial disaster in decades. The company has focused its efforts on aiding emergency personnel and supporting affected families while the cause of the incident is still being determined.