LONGVIEW, Wash. — Emergency responders are continuing to stabilize a tank that imploded at a packaging plant in Longview early Tuesday morning.
At approximately 7:18 a.m. the Longview Fire Department (LFD) responded to a hazardous material incident at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company. The department says a tank containing white liquor ruptured.
LFD Battalion Chief Mike Gorsuch described the scene as a “mass casualty scene,” according to The Associated Press.
As of 5:30 p.m., one person has been pronounced dead. Ten people were taken to nearby hospitals, including eight employees and one firefighter, LFD said.
Nine employees remain unaccounted for, according to Longview fire.
Officials said there is no immediate threat to the public, but they are asking everyone to stay clear of the area for the time being.
“Recovery efforts remain complex due to ongoing safety concerns at the site. While originally believed to contain approximately 80,000 gallons, officials now report the tank held approximately 900,000 gallons of white liquor. Longview Fire and Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue estimate roughly 90,000 gallons of material may remain inside the damaged tank,” Longview fire wote on Facebook.
Currently, the tank remains unstable, “creating hazardous conditions for emergency personnel,” Longview fire said.
The Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company is a kraft pulp and paper mill and liquid packaging plant. The pulp and paper mill currently has roughly 550 employees, while the liquid packaging plant has about 450 employees, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology.
MyNorthwest.com and the Associated Press contributed to this story.
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