LONGVIEW, Wash. — At least two people have died, and nine more are still unaccounted for after a vat containing hundreds of thousands of gallons of dangerous chemicals failed at the Nippon Dynawave packaging plant in Longview on Tuesday morning.
Eight people were hurt and taken to the hospital, including seven employees and one firefighter. Legacy Health and PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center confirmed on Wednesday that five of those eight patients had been released from the hospital, and two are still being treated. One of the people who was hospitalized succumbed to their injuries and is included as one of the two people confirmed dead.
In the wake of the implosion, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has shared a helpline to offer crisis counseling for anyone affected.
“The Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH) is the first national hotline dedicated to providing year-round disaster crisis counseling. This toll-free, multilingual, crisis support service is available 24/7 to all residents in the U.S. and its territories who are experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters,” according to SAMHSA.
You can call or text to reach a trained counselor from a network of crisis call centers located across the United States, who provide:
- Crisis counseling for people in emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster
- Information on how to recognize distress and its effects on individuals and families
- Referrals to local crisis call centers for additional follow-up care and support
- Healthy coping tips
You do not need to provide any identifying information when they contact DDH, SAMHSA says. The counselor may ask you for some basic information at the end of the call, but these questions are optional and intended to help SAMHSA keep track of the types of calls it receives.
The helpline is open to anyone experiencing emotional distress related to disasters. This includes survivors of disasters; loved ones of victims; first responders; rescue, recovery, and relief workers; clergy; and parents and caregivers. You may call for yourself or on behalf of someone else.
You can reach the disaster distress helpline at: 1-800-985-5990.
That number will immediately connect you with a trained professional to offer support.
To learn more, visit: samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines/disaster-distress-helpline
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