“We’re all still waiting for answers. Families have been torn apart.”
At least one person has died and several others were injured after a massive chemical tank imploded at a paper and packaging plant in Washington state, triggering a large emergency response and leaving multiple workers unaccounted for.
The incident happened Tuesday morning at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility in Longview, about 50 miles north of Portland.
Officials said the tank contained “white liquor,” a highly caustic chemical mixture used in the paper making process. Emergency crews initially believed the tank held around 80,000 gallons, but later discovered it contained far more.
The blast shook parts of the facility shortly after 7 a.m., sending workers running as smoke and chemical fumes spread across the area.
“You could feel the panic immediately. People were trying to figure out who made it out,” one worker familiar with the scene said.
Authorities confirmed that at least nine people were injured, including a firefighter. Several victims suffered chemical burns and traumatic injuries. Some workers were transferred to burn treatment centers in Oregon.
Emergency crews described the site as extremely dangerous even hours after the implosion.
Fire officials said the damaged tank remained unstable, forcing rescue operations to slow down because parts of the structure could collapse further. Recovery teams were later pulled back temporarily due to safety concerns.
Families gathered near the plant waiting for updates as confusion spread through the community.
“Nobody knows exactly who is still inside,” one relative told reporters outside the scene.
Longview residents said many families in the town have connections to the mill, which has operated in the area for decades and employs hundreds of workers.
By Tuesday evening, community members gathered for a prayer vigil as officials continued searching for missing employees.
“When one family hurts here, the whole town feels it,” a local pastor said during the vigil.
Authorities stressed that there was no immediate danger to the wider public, although nearby roads were blocked and people were told to avoid the area while hazmat teams continued monitoring air and water conditions.
The chemical involved in the implosion is used to break down wood during paper production and can cause severe burns if it touches the skin.
Officials also confirmed that large amounts of the liquid spilled across parts of the facility after the rupture. Environmental crews were later sent in to help contain the leak and prevent contamination from spreading further.
Workers at the plant said the scene after the explosion was chaotic.
“People were screaming names and trying to call coworkers,” one employee said.
Questions are now growing about safety conditions at the facility.
State records show there were already ongoing inspections at the plant before the implosion, although officials said those investigations were unrelated to the tank involved in Tuesday’s disaster.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said state agencies were assisting local responders and promised support for affected families.
For now, investigators are still trying to understand exactly what caused the tank to rupture.
But across Longview, many residents say the focus remains on the workers who never made it home and the families still waiting for answers after one of the town’s worst industrial accidents in years.
