At least 1 dead and 9 missing after an implosion at a paper and packaging plant in Washington state
Originally Published: 26 MAY 26 14:53 ET
Updated: 26 MAY 26 20:23 ET
By Alisha Ebrahimji, Emma Tucker, CNN
(CNN) — At least one person has died, nine people were injured and nine others remain unaccounted for after a large vat of chemical treatment product, including hazardous materials, imploded at a paper and packaging facility in Washington state, fire officials said.
At least 10 people, including one firefighter who suffered chemical burns and other injuries, were taken to area hospitals for treatment, Cowlitz Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Goldschain said at a news conference earlier in the day. Fire officials said then that “there were fatalities” related to the implosion.
The implosion took place around 7:30 a.m. local time at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. facility in Longview, Washington, following the rupture of a tank containing white liquor, a chemical mixture used in the paper making process, the Longview Fire Department said.
CNN has reached out to the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. facility for comment on the incident.
While officials originally said the tank had capacity to hold 80,000 gallons and was roughly 60% full, they later said the tank held over 10 times that amount of white liquor – approximately 900,000 gallons. Roughly 90,000 gallons of material may remain inside the damaged tank, they said.
A spokesperson for PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center told CNN the hospital initially received nine patients, including one person who died in the incident. Two people were transferred to other facilities and six others were in “fair condition,” according to Jim Murez, the hospital’s communications manager.
There is no immediate threat to the public, the department said, but the scene remains active and emergency responders are in the “recovery phase.”
Longview is about 50 miles north of Portland and about 130 miles south of Seattle.
This story has been updated with additional information.
The-CNN-Wire
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