A chemical tank containing "white liquor," a caustic solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide, ruptured and imploded on May 26, 2026, at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging paper mill in Longview, Washington, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries [1, 2, 3, 4]. The tank, holding about 80,000 gallons and estimated to be 60% full at the time, released over 500,000 gallons of the chemical mixture due to rupture and leaks [1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 4].
The explosion and subsequent chemical release caused the deaths of 11 workers at the site and injured at least 10 others, including a firefighter, according to authorities [6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. Injuries ranged from chemical burns and inhalation trauma to severe physical trauma, with conditions spanning from critical to minor [1, 2, 3, 11, 4, 12].
Emergency responders faced challenges stabilizing the damaged tank and decontaminating the area before recovery crews could safely retrieve victims, delaying rescue efforts [5, 6, 7, 8]. Authorities advised the public and surrounding community to avoid the site, though officials reported no immediate threat to city air quality or drinking water. Chemical contamination was confirmed to have entered the nearby Columbia River [1, 6, 11, 4].
Nippon Paper Industries, a Japanese firm that purchased the plant in 2016, operates the facility, which manufactures kraft paper, packaging materials, and liquid packaging products [1, 6]. The site is located roughly 70 kilometers from Portland, Oregon [2, 3, 4].
Previous incidents at the mill included a major fire in July 2023 and another fire in a locomotive repair shop in 2025; neither event caused injuries [1, 2].
Initial reports varied on the number of fatalities at the scene, with early confirmations only indicating deaths had occurred but without specifying how many [1, 3, 11, 4, 12]. By May 27, rescue efforts shifted to recovery as nine workers remained missing; the death toll was confirmed at 11 by May 30 after all victims were recovered and identified [6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. Scott Goldstein, chief of Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue, stated, "As of this morning, we declared this incident a transition from rescue to recovery" [6].
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson called the tragedy "the deadliest industrial tragedy in modern Washington state history" [6]. Friends and colleagues remembered the victims; Todd Cornwell described worker Gilbert Bernal as "one of the most genuinely good people... He would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it" [7].
Officials continue investigating the cause of the tank's rupture. Recovery operations concluded on May 30, with no additional missing persons reported [9, 10].
