1 dead in chemical tank implosion in Washington

LONGVIEW (US), MAY 27 (AP): A massive chemical tank holding nearly a million gallons of a highly corrosive liquid imploded and collapsed Tuesday at a Washington paper mill, killing at least one worker and leaving nine others unaccounted for with no hope for rescue, authorities said. Another nine people were injured, some severely, in the spill at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. in Longview. The cause remained unclear.
“At the moment we are not aware of any rescues that are yet to be made,” Cowlitz Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Goldstein said during a Tuesday evening news conference in which officials repeatedly referred to the situation as a recovery effort. That effort would not resume until Wednesday morning, when emergency responders planned to work on stabilising the collapsed tank, which still had about 90,000 gallons of a chemical brew known as “white liquor” inside, and then search for the missing, Goldstein said.
Some of the victims suffered burns or inhalation injuries, and the severity of the injuries ranged from minor to critical, authorities said. Among those injured was a responding firefighter.
Officials said they would only work during daylight hours because there was a risk of the tank leaking more caustic liquid and potentially collapsing.
“We don’t know until we know, hopefully tomorrow, how we can stabilise the tank. Do we remove the product first? Do we stabilise the tank first or the vice versa?” Goldstein said.
Authorities said there was no threat to the public.
Two upset parents who said their two sons worked at the plant interjected at the end of the news conference, saying they hadn’t been contacted. While officials including Gov. Bob Ferguson, US Sen. Patty Murray and US Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez addressed those gathered, no one from the company spoke at the news conference.
Some people waited at the company’s visitor entrance earlier Tuesday, seeking information about loved ones who worked at the facility.
They declined to comment to an Associated Press reporter. At a nearby union hall that was serving as a family assistance centre, three women shared a tearful embrace before heading inside. Others coming and going were also in tears.