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One person is killed, ten people are injured, and nine others are missing in a major chemical explosion at a paper mill in Longview, Washington, United States.
Confirmed
In Short: A major chemical explosion at a paper mill in Longview, Washington, has resulted in one death, ten injuries, and nine people still unaccounted for.
A major chemical explosion at a paper mill in Longview, Washington, has resulted in one death, ten injuries, and nine people still unaccounted for. The explosion, caused by a rupture in a tank containing white liquor, left the scene in a state of recovery as emergency responders worked to stabilize the tank and search for the missing individuals.
Crystal Moldenhauer, a Longview resident and school board member, reported that friends working at the plant were unaccounted for. The incident also injured nine employees and one firefighter, with injuries ranging from minor to critical.
Emergency operations continued into Wednesday morning, with efforts focused on stabilizing the tank and searching for the missing. The tank, which still contained about 90,000 gallons of white liquor, posed a significant risk to recovery operations.
The Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility, which makes tissues, printer paper, cups, plates, cartons, and other goods, has a history of major incidents, including a fire in July 2023 that burned for days. The plant employs 1,000 people, according to local authorities.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- This photo provided by the City of Longview, Wash., shows structural damage to the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co., after a tank containing hazardous liquid imploded, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 in Longview, Wash. (City…
- That effort would not resume until Wednesday morning, when emergency responders planned to work on stabilizing the collapsed tank, which still had about 90,000 gallons (more than 340,000 liters) of a chemical brew…
- Crystal Moldenhauer, a Longview resident who served on the school board, said she has friends who work at the plant and remained unaccounted for.
- At least one person has been killed and nine others are still missing after a major chemical explosion at a paper mill in Washington, authorities said.
- A further nine people have been injured in the spill, including eight employees and one firefighter, the Longview Fire Department said Tuesday evening, adding that the tank remains unstable.
- The explosion occurred due a "rupture of a tank containing white liquor", the company said in a statement.
- Cowlitz Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Goldstein said during an earlier news conference that 10 people had been injured and transported to hospital.
- Nine of the people injured are employees at the factory, and one is a firefighter, Goldstein said at the time.