A massive tank of caustic chemicals burst at a Washington paper mill Tuesday morning, killing an unknown number of workers and sending others to hospitals, officials said.
The tank failed around 7:15 a.m. at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. plant on Industrial Way in Longview, the Longview Fire Department (LFD) said in a joint statement with the company. Ten people went to hospitals in the area, including nine plant workers and one firefighter, while some remain unaccouted for, according to KGW. Officials said the identities of the dead and wounded will not be shared until relatives have been informed. (RELATED: 40,000 People Ordered Evacuated After SoCal Chemical Leak As Authorities Try To Prevent Explosion)
The tank could hold 80,000 gallons and was roughly 60% full when the incident occurred, Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue Chief Scott Goldstein said, Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) reported. The chief noted that many have been rattled by the incident. “The people who are responders here have friends and relatives that work on site. It is something that is impactful,” he said.
Nine of the injured arrived at PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center, where six were listed in fair condition and two were moved elsewhere, OPB reported, citing officials. A hospital spokesperson confirmed at least one death. LFD Battalion Chief Mike Gorsuch told OPB that victims suffered chemical burns and inhalation harm, and noted hazardous materials personnel from the area were on-site. “This could probably be an all-day process for us,” he said.
A Legacy Health spokesperson said the Legacy Oregon Burn Center, the region’s only burn clinic, had taken in patients. Gorsuch also called the site a “mass casualty scene,” according to OPB.
My heart is with everyone who lost a loved one today & the workers injured from the implosion at Nippon Dynawave in Longview.
I’m grateful for the heroism of the first responders and health care workers on the frontlines of this disaster. pic.twitter.com/z9agy5LFpb
— Senator Patty Murray (@PattyMurray) May 26, 2026
White liquor is a corrosive substance used to strip down wood chips during the production of kraft paper, the durable material found in items such as shopping bags and packaging, The Associated Press reported. Officials first labeled the incident an explosion, then an implosion, before settling on a rupture, ABC News reported.
State leaders responded as the recovery progressed. Democratic Oregon Gov. Bob Ferguson posted on X that he was traveling to Longview to meet with responders, writing, “Continued prayers for those impacted by this tragedy.” He had previously announced that the state Department of Ecology and Department of Labor & Industries had teams present.
Democratic Oregon Sen. Patty Murray called the disaster an “absolute tragedy” in her own post. “My heart is with everyone who lost a loved one today & the workers injured from the implosion at Nippon Dynawave in Longview,” she wrote, crediting the first responders and health care workers on the scene.
The mill employs roughly 1,000 workers and belongs to Tokyo-based Nippon Paper Group, which bought it from Weyerhaeuser in 2016 for $285 million, OPB reported.