Chemical Tank Explosion at Paper Mill in Washington State Leaves 11 Dead or Missing

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - A major industrial incident occurred at Nippon Dynawave Packaging’s paper mill in Longview, state of Washington, United States (US), on Tuesday local time. The incident happened during the morning shift change when a 900,000-gallon (3.4 million litres) white liquor tank suddenly ruptured. As a result, two workers were confirmed dead, while nine others remain missing and are presumed dead following the collapse of the giant chemical tank. Scott Goldstein of Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue stated that local authorities have formally ended rescue operations and transitioned to recovery efforts. ‘We have officially transitioned from rescue to recovery this morning,’ he said in a press conference, as reported by AFP on Thursday (28 May 2026). White liquor, a corrosive chemical containing sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide, is commonly used in the pulp and paper industry to break down wood chips into pulp before paper production. The explosion and tank collapse caused significant damage to vehicles, structures, and equipment at the site. Photographs show the massive tank structure crushed and tilted. Goldstein said an estimated 25,000 gallons remained in the tank, but the situation is stable. ‘We still have contingency plans in place and resources ready to deploy if we need stabilise and move the tank,’ he added. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said the Longview community, with a population of about 40,000, has been severely affected. ‘We are preparing for the possibility that this could become the state’s deadliest industrial disaster in modern history,’ he said. ‘When such a tragedy occurs, the impact on individuals, families, and the community is profound,’ he added. Nippon Dynawave Packaging is a subsidiary of Japan’s Nippon Paper Group. The company produces approximately eight billion packaging units annually for markets in North America, Asia, and other regions. This incident follows a chemical emergency in Orange County, California, earlier this week, where tens of thousands of residents were temporarily evacuated due to a methyl methacrylate tank overheating and threatening to explode. Firefighters successfully cooling the 7,000-gallon tank, which averted a blast and toxic smoke exposure. All evacuation orders were lifted on Tuesday after the immediate danger passed.