Deadly Explosion at Nippon Dynawave Plant in Washington injures many

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A chemical tank at a Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility in Washington collapsed and burst on Tuesday, leading to multiple fatalities and serious injuries, according to officials.

Emergency crews remained on scene in Longview, Cowlitz County, approximately 45 miles north of Portland, Oregon, as reported by the Longview Fire Department in a joint statement with Nippon and the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office.

Several patients suffering from chemical burns and other injuries were taken to local hospitals. Authorities assured the public that the implosion did not pose an immediate danger to the nearby community.

The officials confirmed deaths linked to the incident and reported multiple critical injuries, though exact numbers were not disclosed.

At least nine workers and a firefighter were hospitalized from the scene, stated Scott Goldstein, Chief of Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue, who responded to the scene. The total number of fatalities remains unknown, he added during a press briefing.

PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in Longview reported treating nine patients related to the incident, including one who has died. Six patients were in fair condition, and two others had been transferred to other facilities.

The joint statement specified that a tank holding a chemical called “white liquor,” a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide used in paper pulp manufacturing, ruptured around 7:15 a.m. local time (1415 GMT).

Goldstein noted that the tank was about 80,000 gallons and roughly 60% full at the time of the rupture.

Meanwhile, in southern California, officials are monitoring an overheating industrial tank containing highly combustible methyl methacrylate. The possibility of an explosion was eliminated on Monday after a crack relieved some of the pressure at the GKN Aerospace plant in Garden Grove.

Greg Barta, spokesperson for the Orange County Fire Authority, reported Tuesday morning that the tank’s temperature was stable and that crews were working to ensure evacuees could return home safely.