At Least 1 Dead, 9 Others Missing After Chemical Tank Implosion at Washington State Mill

A vat of chemicals imploded in the early morning hours Tuesday. Workers at the facility were transported to local hospitals, though authorities did not give details about the casualties.

John Rigolizzo

Published: 5/26/2026, 9:18:09 PM EDT

At Least 1 Dead, 9 Others Missing After Chemical Tank Implosion at Washington State Mill — Structural damage to the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co., after a tank containing hazardous liquid imploded in Longview, Wash., on May 26, 2026. (City of Longview via AP)

At least one person was killed, and nine others are missing after a chemical tank imploded at a pulp and paper mill in Washington state on Tuesday morning, authorities said.

Emergency responders were still working on recovery efforts at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. in Longview, but hours after the implosion, some liquid remained in the collapsed tank, complicating efforts to reach victims, the Longview Fire Department said Tuesday evening.

Cowlitz Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Goldstein later said at a news conference that it was unclear how many workers had been killed. When asked how many remained missing, he replied: “We have information on that, but we’re not releasing that information.”

Additionally, nine others were injured in the spill. Among those injured was a responding firefighter.

Authorities said some victims suffered burns or inhalation injuries, and that the severity of the injuries ranged from minor to critical. There was no immediate threat to the public, they said.

PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center said in a statement to NTD that the center "has evaluated nine patients connected to the incident—four have now been transferred, three have been discharged, one is in fair condition and one is deceased."

The exterior of the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. is shown after a tank containing hazardous liquid imploded in Longview, Wash., on May 26, 2026. (Claire Rush/AP Photo) — The exterior of the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. is shown after a tank containing hazardous liquid imploded in Longview, Wash., on May 26, 2026. Claire Rush/AP Photo

Fire Department Responds to the Scene

Nippon Dynawave manufactures paper packaging in Longview, Washington, a town on the Oregon border roughly 50 miles north of Portland.

According to a press release on Facebook, the Longview Fire Department responded to the scene around 7:18 a.m. local time Tuesday, along with crews from Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue, the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office, and others. The full response contingent included five fire engines, seven ambulances, a HazMat crew, and four chief officers.

In a separate, joint press release with Nippon Dynawave and the other responding agencies, the Longview Fire Department added that a tank of white liquor—a strong alkaline solution of sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfide, and disodium carbonate used in the manufacture of paper pulp—ruptured, causing workers in the vicinity severe chemical burns and other injuries. They were all transported to hospitals in Longview and Vancouver. Authorities also confirmed fatalities from the incident but refused to publicize the names of either the injured or deceased victims until families had been notified.

Fire crews and a Hazardous Materials Team remained on the scene late into the morning, conducting mitigation on the chemicals and the affected tank, but said there was no immediate threat to the public.

At a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Longview Fire Battalion Chief Mike Gorsuch confirmed that one of the firefighters sustained injuries during the response, but has since been treated and released from a local hospital.

"This is a tragic incident for our community," Gorsuch said. "Our thoughts remain with the victims, their families, the co-workers, and everyone who has been impacted by it."

Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Goldstein said the scene was stable after crews confirmed the status of both hazardous materials and structural concerns, but he anticipated that crews would be working at the site for several more hours, potentially overnight.

The tank was reported to be roughly 80,000 gallons in volume, and roughly 60 percent full.

According to a profile from the Washington Department of Ecology, Nippon Dynawave is "a kraft pulp and paper mill and liquid packaging plant" that "makes about 280,000 tons of bleached liquid packaging paperboard and wetlap and slush pulp each year." There are about 550 employees at the paper mill and another 450 employees at the liquid packaging facility.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.