1 confirmed dead, 9 missing in chemical tank rupture at Nippon Dynawave pulp and paper mill in Longview

LONGVIEW, Wash. — Editor’s note: the latest developments on the Longview plant disaster can be found here. 

At least one person is dead and multiple people remain missing after a tank of caustic chemicals ruptured at the Nippon Dynawave facility in Longview on Tuesday, fire officials confirmed.

According to the Longview Fire Department, 10 people were taken to nearby hospitals: nine Nippon employees and one firefighter who has since been released.

Nine of the people were sent to PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center for evaluation. Four were transferred to another hospital, three were discharged, one is in “fair condition,” and one has died, PeaceHealth told KGW.

As of 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, there was only the one confirmed fatality, but Longview Fire said that nine employees remained unaccounted for. Their families have been notified.

In a press conference later in the evening, elected officials from all levels of government joined public safety officials in expressing their condolences to the impacted families and their thanks to first responders in the face of “truly unthinkable horrors,” as voiced by U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.

“It’s difficult always to find the words at a time like this, and as you’ve heard already from previous speakers, our thoughts and our prayers are with everybody impacted by this tragedy,” said Gov. Bob Ferguson. “So on behalf of the people of the state of Washington, I want all those individuals to know that we stand with you, we’ll be here to do everything we can to help with the situation and we’ll be here as long as it takes.”

One victim killed in the incident was Gilbert Bernal, identified by family Tuesday through their pastor, Jim John of Journey Adventist Church. John said he’d been with the family all day.

“Very, very broken … it’s a big loss for their family because of Gilbert —the way he lived his life, the way he loved his family, the way he provided for his family,” said John. “Just a wonderful person.”

RELATED: Here’s what we know about the victims in Longview paper mill implosion

Bernal had worked at the plant for about 15 years as an electrician, working on boilers and anywhere else he was needed.

“Gilbert was always willing to help anybody, no matter what the situation was,” John said. “Always mechanical — very, very good with his hands.”

John said Bernal was a husband, a father, a grandfather and a friend.

“He’s not just a church member, he’s a friend,” John said. “That’s the hard part. I need to be here for the church family and the family, and at the same time I’m grieving, because I’m gonna miss him a lot.”

The tank that ruptured was being used to store “white liquor,” which is a highly caustic alkaline solution used to break down solid wood chips in the pulp and paper production process.

The tank ruptured around 7:18 a.m., burning multiple people and exposing others to the harmful chemicals. Around 11:20 a.m., officials confirmed fatalities and critical injuries related to the incident. 

Longview Fire said crews and a Hazardous Materials Team were working with Nippon Dynawave employees to “mitigate the product and container involved.”

NIPPON DYNAWAVE: What to know about the Longview facility at the center of Tuesday’s chemical implosion

Emergency crews were continuing recovery and stabilization operations late Tuesday afternoon, they said, amid what turned out to be ongoing hazards. While the ruptured tank was originally said to contain 80,000 gallons of white liquor, that capacity was revised up to 900,000 gallons, with as much as 90,000 gallons remaining inside the damaged tank.

“Currently, the tank remains unstable, creating hazardous conditions for emergency personnel,” Longview Fire said. “Responders are continuing efforts to structurally reinforce and stabilize the site before additional recovery operations can safely proceed.”

Officials said there is no direct threat to the surrounding community, and there are no evacuation orders at this time. However, residents are asked to stay away from Industrial Way and avoid the surrounding area while emergency crews respond to the incident.

The public was also directed to stay away from dikes and ditches between Washington Way and Prudential Boulevard due to concerns about the white liquor mixing with water and contaminating areas close to the Nippon property.

Recovery operations are being suspended overnight due to safety concerns and will resume in the morning, Longview Fire said. The site will still be monitored through the night.

“Recovery operations remain focused on safely accessing all affected areas of the facility, recovering victims, and supporting impacted families, while ensuring the safety of emergency responders working within unstable conditions,” the agency said.

The Nippon Dynawave facility contains a kraft pulp and paper mill as well as multiple liquid packaging plants and employs approximately 1,000 people. 

RELATED: Records show safety complaints, past fires at Longview plant before explosion